Second Chance
by Rivan Warrioress
Summary: After their parents are killed by Angelus, Xander and Willow are taken in by Xander's biological father, Jack O'Neill, and head off to Colorado Springs, prepared to accept life away from all things that give you a Wiggins. Well, that was the plan anyway.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon and Stargate SG1 belongs to MGM and Brad Wright.**

It was said that grief brings people together. In the aftermath of what had been happening lately in Sunnydale, ever since Buffy's 17th birthday and the night that Angel had, for lack of a better phrase, reverted back to being a psychotic serial killer, Xander Harris and Willow Rosenberg had been inclined to think the opposite. Grief and loss shattered everything, especially when it was coming from nearly every aspect of their lives.

When it had been first discovered that Angel had gone bad, the Scooby gang had known that it would be bad but none of them had ever realized how bad it would actually be.

Jenny had been the first to die, killed during a late night session translating the spell that would have potentially ended the vampire's war of terror against Buffy and her friends. The techno pagan's neck had been broken and her body cruelly lain out on Giles' bed for the Watcher to find.

Then Angelus had struck hard, attacking both the Rosenberg house and the Harris residence in one night while Willow and Xander were busy researching at the library. Both of them had come home to find their parents slaughtered. Xander's parents had been in the living room, in front of the TV, which was blaring in the background, a splash of blood decorating the screen. Willow's parents had been stripped naked, their throats ripped out, with a detailed sketch of the scene left on Willow's pillow to find.

Neither of them would ever forget that night, nor the night that followed a few days later, when the library, the inner sanctum of the Scooby gang, had been attacked by Drusilla and her minions while Willow had been attempting the soul restoration ritual. Kendra, the second vampire Slayer, had been killed and Willow had a bookcase dropped on her head, leaving her in a coma.

When Willow had woken up to find that it all hadn't been some nightmare conjured up by her mind, she'd sworn that she would re-soul Angel and end the conflict, following Ms. Calendar's dying wish. Xander, scared that he would loose Willow in the same way that he lost his parents, had stayed with Cordelia at Willow's side, ordering Oz to go and alert Buffy about the second attempt, as she'd been trying to prevent Angelus from ending the world.

Willow had performed the spell, as Xander and Cordelia watched on, and something had definitely happened, they were all sure of it, and as the three waited for Oz, Buffy and possibly a souled Angel to return, Xander secretly hoping that he could pummel the vampire, wether he remembered his actions or not. The way that the world didn't seem to end filled them up with hope.

Only to have that hope dashed when Oz returned, alone. The red-haired werewolf had described watching through a window as Buffy and Angelus fought, having delivered the message. His keen ears had picked out the confusion in Angel's voice, as well as the impressive light show, that indicated the soul restoration spell had been effective, though too late to save Buffy and Angel. The portal had opened and they had both been sucked into it before it had closed.

The Slayer and her vampire were dead.

And this time, Buffy wasn't coming back.

And so, the Scooby gang had been broken. Giles, consumed by his grief over losing both his love and the Slayer he loved as a daughter within such a short period of time, had shut himself off, focusing on the vain hope that Buffy was still alive in some hell dimension and throwing himself into his books and research. Cordelia mourned quietly for the only competition she had for the homecoming queen title and for the kind of friend she had in Buffy, and Oz mourned the friendship that he had shared with the Slayer for a short period of time. Joyce, who had taken in Xander and Willow after their parents were killed, mourned for her daughter, still struggling to understand the full weight of Buffy's destiny as the Slayer. Snyder didn't mourn at all, happy to see a notorious troublemaker like Buffy Summers gone from the school halls.

But it was Xander and Willow who struggled with their grief the most. They'd lost their closest friend, other than each other, and their parents within a few short days of one another. They'd been isolated from their friends, as Cordelia and Oz had been forced back to school by their parents and Snyder, and Giles and Joyce were too caught up in their own grief, so Willow and Xander were left alone, finding refuge in Buffy's old bedroom, grieving their losses together and dreading the days that were to come.

Xander had always known that Tony Harris was not his biological father but his stepfather instead, as Tony had seen fit to remind Xander during the physical and verbal abuse he had inflicted. Xander's real biological father was his mother, Jessica's, first husband, Jack. When they had divorced Jessica and Jack had each taken one of their children, Xander and his twin brother Charlie. Over the years, they had both remarried, not contacting each other, and keeping the two separate families just that… separate.

Until the day Jack called and told Jessica that Charlie was dead. Xander had eavesdropped on his parents as his mother told Tony. She refused to go to the funeral and Xander had secretly and privately mourned his brother.

Naturally, Xander had told Willow everything he knew about Jack, which wasn't much. All Xander knew was his first name, Charlie's name, and that Charlie was his twin. Xander's mother had also told him that if something happened to both her and Tony, then he would be sent to live with Jack, as per the custody agreement. Currently, the Sunnydale Police Department were trying to track down Xander's dad.

Willow, on the other hand, had no relatives that were waiting to take her in. Her mother had told her, when she was 10, that in the even of the death of Ira and Sheila, Willow would be placed in the foster system, firstly because she had not other relatives and secondly because the foster system built up a person's sense of identity and helped them become responsible, community-minded, resilient people within the wider community, who were widely respected and looked up to by others.

Willow was never sure which piece of research had told her mother this, but the idea of going into foster care, away from Xander and Sunnydale, terrified her. She'd hoped and prayed, especially after discovering the truth about Sunnydale's nightlife, that her parents would survive to see her 18th birthday.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to be, thanks to Angelus, and now it would only be a matter of time before Social Services came to visit.

A few days after Buffy's disappearance, there was a knock on the door of the Summers' residence. Joyce, her eyes red and puffy from crying, went and answered it, surprised to find a tall man with greying hair standing on her front doorstep, dressed in a pair of jeans and a clean shirt.

"Hello, my name is Jack O'Neill. I'm here to see Alexander," He said politely. Joyce cleared her throat, dabbing at the tears in her eyes with a tissue.

"Oh, of course. He's upstairs with Willow." She stepped aside, remembering Buffy warning her about inviting people inside, even though it was the middle of the day. Jack stepped through the door easily and Joyce relaxed.

"This way," she said, leading him into the living room where Giles was sitting, trying to research hell dimensions. He hastily put the book down, though, when he saw the stranger.

"Rupert, this is Jack O'Neill. He's come to see Xander," Joyce introduced.

"Rupert Giles. I'm the librarian from Xander's school."

"Colonel Jack O'Neill, US Air Force and Alexander's dad."

"Ah, yes, He's been waiting for you to come. The police were having difficulties tracking you down." Giles nodded as they shook hands.

"So I heard. I've been away with my work for the last few days. I only got home last night and saw the message on my answering machine. I caught the next flight over."

While they talked, Joyce left the room, heading upstairs to Buffy's room where Xander and Willow were bound to be. They had been hanging around in the living room, but now that Willow was free of the wheelchair that she had been confined to for a few days following her release form hospital, they'd relocated to the privacy of Buffy's old bedroom.

Joyce felt guilt well up within her as she reflected on how she and Giles had treated the remaining members of Buffy's group of friends, especially Xander and Willow.

The pair had lost everything, except one another, and now they were going to be separated. Sometimes life could be far too cruel.

**A.N. Here's the first chapter of my latest offering. Feedback is greatly appreciated, as I am very new to the whole Stargate fandom. **

**On that note, I own all errors, and spelling and grammatical mistakes. **

**Tell me what you think. I hope you've enjoyed I so far.**

**R.W.**


	2. Chapter 2

Xander followed Joyce down the stairs from Buffy's room, filled with a sense of impending doom. Joyce had told him who was here, mainly because she'd seen the look of terror on Willow's face when she'd thought that she was about to be taken away, and although he'd felt relieved at first, now his insecurities were making themselves known He'd never met his biological father before, and knowing that the guy was his legal guardian now made Xander kind of nervous. He felt Willow reassuringly touch his shoulder and let himself relax a little, knowing his best friend was at his back.

Xander and Willow followed Joyce into the living room, where they paused in the doorway. Giles and a man, whom they presumed to be Xander's father. Willow could see the strong resemblance between them instantly.

What Xander noticed immediately about the man was that he was military. He had to fight the urge, left behind by the soldier possession at Halloween, to salute the older man, who he was almost certain was highly ranking military, not just a run-of-the-mill soldier.

"Um, hi," Xander managed.

"Hi. Colonel Jack O'Neill," the man replied, introducing himself and smiling at the pair. Xander inwardly nodded. Yep. Highly ranking military. Soldier Boy was right.

"Are you Alexander?" Jack asked and Xander nodded.

"Are you my dad?" he replied and Jack nodded.

"I thought so; you looked familiar, sort of." Xander gave a shrug and a half-smile.

"I'm sorry about your mother and stepfather," Jack said sincerely. He'd been sorry to hear about their deaths. Not just because of Xander, but there was a part of him that still loved Jessica.

"Thanks." Xander felt his throat thicken up with emotion.

"Before all this, did you know about me?" Jack asked. Alexander hadn't shown any sign of recognition to his name, but then Joyce hadn't been surprised to hear him say he was Alexander's dad, so maybe he did know.

Xander nodded. "Yep, no bombshells from beyond the grave here. I've known for my whole life. Not much in the way of details. Just that Tony Harris wasn't my real dad, my mom's ex-husband Jack was, and that I had a twin brother that you had custody of. I know he died too, so you don't have to tell me about that. Mom wasn't going to tell me, but I overheard her telling Tony about it. I never knew your surname, though, or where you lived, because otherwise I would have tried to find you."

"You probably wouldn't have found me anyway. The military like us to be hard to find."

"As proven by the Sunnydale Police," Xander pointed out and Jack laughed.

"Exactly."

"So what branch of the military are you in?" Xander asked, sitting down on the couch. Jack had already been sitting in one of the arm chairs.

"Air Force, out of Colorado Springs," Jack replied.

"That's where the Air Force Academy is, even though you definitely already know that, so I'll just be quiet," Willow faded off, ducking her head shyly.

"How do you know that?" Xander asked his best friend. He knew, but only because of his shared memories.

"It came up on my list of prospective colleges that I've been making," Willow explained shyly, focusing on Xander.

Jack smiled, liking the shy young redhead at his son's side. "You should go for it. We need more girl applicants going into the Academy."

Willow blushed. "I don't know, it might not be an option now."

"Willow's parents were killed the same night as Xander's, by the same person," Giles explained.

"Oh yeah, introductions. This is Willow Rosenberg, my best friend in the entire universe since kindergarten, and Mrs Summers, who is my other best friend's mom, and this is Mr. Giles, who we just call Giles, the librarian from my school. He's, um, doing some stuff for Buffy's mom, because Buffy's missing."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Willow." Jack said sadly. That was one hell of a coincidence; two best friends losing their parents on the same night to the same killer. Jack frowned. Maybe his boy was going to be next. It was a good thing that he was going to be getting out of town soon.

"Thank you, Colonel O'Neill, and thank you for coming for Xander." Willow smiled weakly.

"It's my pleasure, Willow. I've always wanted to meet Alexander, although I wish the circumstances were different," Jack said. "Can I have a word in private to Alexander?"

"Of course," Giles said with a small smile and he and Joyce left the room. Willow gave Xander a quick, encouraging hug before she followed the others out. Xander chewed his lip nervously as Willow closed the door.

"What's up?" he eventually asked.

Jack sighed. "When your mom and I broke up and agreed to take one of you boys each, we decided that if something would happen to one of us and the partner of that one, if one existed, then the other parent would get guardianship. I really wanted to come and see you, but I haven't seen you since Jessica married Tony, and you had him as a father figure. Jessica and I agreed that you were better off having Tony as a full time dad rather than me, who was away so much."

Xander spoke. "Mom told me this, a few years ago." Jack nodded, that made it a little easier to explain then.

"Xander, this is going to be a big change, a huge change. New school, new house, new friends, new life. I'm away a lot with my work, but I'm going to come home as much as I can, I promise. I'll be there for you, and you can talk to me, trust me, about anything, okay?"

Xander nodded, although his skin had paled dramatically. He'd been looking forward to meeting Jack, but he'd forgotten that it would mean leaving Willow, Sunnydale, Cordelia and Oz, Giles and Joyce, not to mention Buffy if she was still alive, and the slaying and patrolling, and the fighting of the forces of evil and darkness behind.

Jack noticed the expression on Xander's face and inwardly cursed. "I'm so sorry about this, Alexander."

Xander blinked, imagining what his life would be like without Willow. She'd always been there for him, just like he'd always been there for her. They'd seen each other almost every day for the past twelve or so years, and now they weren't going to see each other anymore, possible ever again.

How would Willow go continuing to cope with her parent's deaths without him at her side? They'd practically been left in their grief alone, with only each other to rely on. Now she would be alone, trying to deal with her grief.

And then there was him and Cordelia. Xander knew that Cordy wasn't a long-distance relationship kind of girl and that any chance they had of working out as a couple was dashed the moment Xander discovered his parent's bodies. Cordelia knew it too; Xander had seen it in her eyes, although they might continue being friends. Xander hoped they would. Once you got past the bitchiness and self-centeredness, Cordy was actually a nice enough girl.

Willow and Oz fell in the same boat; with neither party confident enough within themselves to be able to cope in a long-distance relationship, or at least, that was what Xander thought, although it would be easier with Oz being older. Of course, that was going by the assumption that Willow would have to leave Sunnydale, but Xander saw there was little chance of her being able to stay, he was pretty sure that there were no foster parents in the area that would be able to take in Willow.

"Are you okay, Alex?" Jack asked, having not got a response from the teenager.

Xander shook his head, both to answer his dad's question, and to clear his mind of his chaotic thoughts. At least Willow would be away from the Hellmouth, and the things that went bump in the night if she was away from Sunnydale. He would be too, in Colorado Springs, he guessed.

"Just call me Xander, everyone else does. Even the teachers at school and my parents."

Jack smiled in relief having gotten a response, a reaction, out of his son.

"Xander, I like it. It's different. Where did it come from?"

Xander smiled at the memories Jack's question evoked. "Alexander is a big name to try and say when you're in kindergarten and you tend to speak really fast when you're excited. Willow couldn't manage it, so she called me Xander and it just kind of stuck."

Jack smiled. "When your mom was pregnant with you and Charlie, Alexander was my favorite name. Her favorite name was Charlie, so we each named one of you."

"Who was responsible for my middle name, because LaVelle, really?"

Jacked laughed at that. "It was your mother's maiden name. I thought it sounded a bit silly, but I didn't mention it. She was the one who did all the hard work, after all."

Xander nodded understandingly. "Did you ever get remarried?"

Jack nodded. "Yes, just the once though. Sara, she would have loved you. She loved Charlie like he was her own. She never forgave me after what happened to Charlie and she left me. We still see each other, occasionally."

Xander grimaced. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, it happened a long time ago. What about you? Any girlfriends I should know about? You and Willow, maybe?"

Xander shook his head quickly. "Not me and Willow, not since we were little. We're just best friends. She's like my little sister; we've seen each other for almost every day since kindergarten. We've always been there for each other. I have a girlfriend, though, her name is Cordelia. She's, well, I have no idea what she sees in me. She's a cheerleader, and I'm one of the geeks that hang out in the library. Her and Oz, that's Willow boyfriend, couldn't get time off school to spend with us, so they're at school at the moment." As he thought of Willow, his thoughts also turned to Jesse and wondering who would tend to his grave and leave flowers like he and Willow did when they were gone.

"That's a long time to be friends," Jack said softly as Xander struggled to hide the tears in his eyes.

"I'm going to really miss her. She's the only reason I made it this far through school. She's been my study buddy the whole time."

Jack inwardly cringed, though he kept his face neutral. It was going to be difficult to watch Xander try and deal with the loss of his parents, but the loss of his best friend too.

"Does Willow know where she's going yet? Maybe you could go and visit over the holidays, or she could come and visit us?" Jack suggested.

"She's going into the foster system. She's got no family left. No grandparents, or aunts and uncles. Her mom thought that the foster system would build up Willow's confidence and would make Willow become a well-respected, resilient, balanced member of the community. Willow's terrified, though. She's smart, really, really smart, but she's shy and she babbles and she gets picked on a lot by the other kids at school, not so much as she used to. She has no idea where she's going. Because she has a roof over her head at the moment, she's not high on Social Service's list of priorities, but they're going to come, soon, and she's pretty sure that she isn't going to be in Sunnydale anymore."

Jack sighed. There went that plan. Daniel had told him stories about the foster system and Jack wouldn't wish it on any kid, especially not his son's best friend. As an older child, it was highly unlikely that Willow would be adopted out, considering most couples went for younger children.

And both Xander and Willow knew what she was about to go into. Jack reflected on the way that she'd said 'thank you for coming for Xander.' She knew that she was about to enter the hardest period of her life so far and she was glad that he was there to make sure that Xander wouldn't have to share the experience with her. It was the thought of a loyal, selfless and supportive friend and Jack was glad that Xander had found a friend like that for himself in Willow.

"Do any of your friends, or work colleagues, have kids my age?" Xander asked, bringing Jack back from his innermost thoughts.

"Yeah, one of my work friends has a daughter, maybe a few months younger that you. I was thinking that I might send you to the same high school as she goes to, so then you might already know someone before your first day. Cassie's a good kid. I think you'll get along okay."

"Did she know Charlie?" Xander asked.

"I didn't know her mother back then, but I think they would have got along okay."

Xander hesitated before he asked his next question, not knowing what sort of reaction he would get. "I don't know if this is pushing things a bit, but how did Charlie die?"

Jack closed his eyes as the memories of that fateful day came back. "I knew you were going to ask that question, and he was your brother, you have a right to know. I was stupid, and I left my gun out when I came home from work. Charlie found it and picked it up. He accidentally shot himself and Sara and I couldn't save him. The doctors told us he didn't have a chance. Sara never forgave me for it."

"I'm sorry," Xander said honestly.

"So am I," Jack agreed.

The two sat in silence for awhile, both of them unable to think if something to say.

"So, what do you like doing outside of school?" Jack eventually asked. Xander smiled.

"Me? Um, watching TV, hanging out with my friends, going to the Bronze, that's a local club. My friends and I are part of a study/research group that meets up in the high school library. You know, that sort of thing."

"Really, what kind of things do you study?"

"Um, myths, legends, ancient folklore stories, old languages, and archaic weaponry. I'm really food run guy though. Provider of sustenance and all things full of energy, that's me. Willow and Giles are the brains of the group though. Willow's research girl and net girl, and Giles is Book man."

"Daniel is going to love you," Jack found himself saying. Xander looked at him, confusion written across his face.

"One of my work friends is an archaeologist and he's really good at ancient languages," Jack explained.

"Ah, right. I'm not as good with the languages as Willow. I like English, it works as a language."

Jack cracked up in laughter. He liked this kid; he reminded him a lot of himself when he was younger.

"So, what do you like doing outside of work?" Xander asked.

"I've got a little cabin in the woods that I like to go to on weekends. There's a lake and I go fishing. I like watching TV, sports or The Simpsons, or anything that will make me laugh. Nothing educational, though. Spending time with my work friends. You know, that sort of thing."

Xander nodded, "The Simpsons are good, and laughing is fun too. I've never been fishing though. Do you want a drink of something? Tea? Coffee? Um, I don't know what else Joyce has."

"Coffee is fine, I haven't had any since the jet fuel they call coffee they had on the plane this morning."

Xander got up and opened the door, leading Jack into the kitchen. Joyce had made hot chocolate for him and Willow with marshmallows on the top, and after Xander asked, she made up mugs of coffee for herself and Jack as well, while Giles made up a cup of tea.

"How long do you have off work, Colonel O'Neill?' Giles asked as they waited for the drinks to be done.

"Call me Jack. I only have a week, I'm afraid. It was the longest I could get, at short notice."

Xander shifted in his seat at Jack's words, moving as close as he could to Willow and gripping her hand reassuringly. Jack realized with a pang at that moment, that if he wanted the chance to be able to build a strong relationship with Xander, he needed to find a way for Willow to be there too, because without Willow, Xander would be broken. They might not be in love, but they were two parts to one whole and without one another, they would be completely shattered.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack strode into the motel room, his phone at his ear. He had messages from Sam, Daniel and the General waiting for him, enquiring how the flight had gone and, in the case of Carter and Daniel, asking what was going on, as he hadn't had time to contact them before he'd flown out in the morning.

They were going to have to wait, because Jack was ringing Hammond first.

"General Hammond," Jack greeted when the phone was picked up.

"O'Neill, nice to hear from you. How did meeting your son go?"

"Very well, sir. I have a question to ask."

"Sure, go ahead."

"My son's best friend's parents died the same night as his. She has no relatives and is going into the foster care system. They've been best friends since they were in kindergarten together. They've seen each other nearly every day. They're like brother and sister. I want to take her in."

"Jack, you sure you can manage two teenagers. I mean, how old are they?"

"Xander is 17 and Willow is 16, she's 17 in October."

"Jack, they're going to need attention. They've just lost their parents. They're going to be a lot of work."

"I can handle Daniel and Carter fine."

"Good point, but these are actual kids, Jack." Hammond chuckled

"Sir, Xander is going to be shattered if Willow is separated from him and they're good for each other. They're almost all the other one has."

"And what did you want to ask me?"

"Well, I just sort of wanted your opinion of the idea, sir, and I wanted to know if you might contact the relevant authorities to make it happen more quickly."

"I understand what you're trying to do for these kids, Jack. I'll see what I can do, no promises, and you have to be prepared to come back here with only your son. You named him Xander?"

"It's really Alexander but apparently it got shortened over the years. Now Alexander is just for on paper. Even at school from the teachers, it's just Xander."

"Ah, right then. I'll see what I can do. Oh, and call your team as well, they've been driving me nuts all morning with questions regarding where you are."

Jack laughed. "Yes, sir."

"See you when you come back to base, Colonel O'Neill."

"See you then." Jack hung up before he dialed Sam's number.

"Major Carter," she said as she answered her phone.

"Hey, Carter."

"Sir, where are you? The General called us into his office this morning and said you were taking a week off for personal reasons."

"I'm fine, Sam. Can you get Teal'c and Danny in with you? I only want to have to say this once."

"Yes, sir."

Jack was quiet as Sam contacted the others and told them to get to her office. He hadn't told any of them about Charlie having a twin, thinking that it wouldn't matter. Now, he was going to have to come clean and the rest of his team weren't going to be happy that he hadn't told them about his other child.

It wasn't long afterwards when Sam reported that the entire team was there and that the phone was on speakerphone.

"What's going on, Jack?" Daniel asked.

"Alright, listen up. While we were away on our last mission, a message was left on my phone from the police department in a town called Sunnydale, in California. They were calling to tell me that my first ex-wife, and her husband, had been killed."

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," Sam gasped.

"Wait, do you mean Sara? I always liked her," Daniel said.

"No, not Sara. Sara's fine, as far as I know."

"Hang on, that means…"

"Jack O'Neill was married before," Teal'c said in his usual tone. Jack nodded down the phone.

"Yeah, her name was Jessica. She was Charlie's mother; we broke up when he was six months old."

"So Sara wasn't Charlie's mother?"

"No, she wasn't, she loved him like she was though. Anyway, Charlie had a twin brother, who Jessica took. We decided we'd take one of the boys each, and if anything happened to one of us and our partner, if we had one, then other one would get custody of both boys. Now Jessica's gone, and her husband is too, I have to take in Alexander, Charlie's twin brother."

A stunned silence met Jack's announcement and Jack could just imagine the looks on the faces of his team members.

"Are you okay, sir?" Daniel asked, breaking the silence.

"I'm fine, Danny. Xander doesn't look that much like Charlie, and well, Charlie was ten when he died. Xander is seventeen now, so he's a lot bigger than what Charlie was."

"So, you're going to take in your seventeen-year-old son? Hey, he can be friends with Cassie," Sam said and Jack could picture her smiling at the thought.

"That's what I was hoping for. Xander's lost pretty much everything. One of his best friends is missing, presumed dead, and the other one lost her parents on the same night that Jessica died and it looks like she might be going into the foster care system."

Jack imagined Daniel cringing at that. "Poor kid," the archaeologist said.

"When will you be back, Jack O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.

"I've got a week off and the funeral is tomorrow. Depending on how things work out I might be home a little bit before my week is up just to give Xander a bit of time to get used to the new house and everything before I start leaving him during the days. There's something else. I've spoken to Hammond and he's looking into me taking in Xander's best friend Willow, the one whose parents also died."

"Sir, with all due respect, that's two teenagers. You see what Cassie is like. Imagine two Cassies." Carter winced. As much as they all loved Cassie, she could be a bit of a handful.

"So, I handle you three alright."

"You do make a valid point," Teal'c conceded and Jack snorted, imagining the way that Sam and Daniel would be glaring at either Teal'c or at the phone.

"Listen, their parents died on the same night and it was the same person who did it. They haven't caught the bastard, so what's to stop him coming after them. I mean, I'm not leaving some kid defenseless in a foster home, when I can look after her and protect her, while protecting my son, against some psychopath. Besides, she's very smart, she's a computer genius, according to Xander, and they're part of a study group that studies mythology. Apparently she's got a bit of a knack for ancient languages."

"Which languages?" Daniel asked, perking up with interest.

"I don't know, but they're in a study group and Xander was calling her research girl and net girl."

"Are they dating?" Sam asked. Jack coughed.

"No, they're like brother and sister, been best friends since kindergarten and have seen each other for practically every day since then. That's, what, eleven years?"

"Yes, something like that." Sam conceded, "I think you should go for it, Sir. We'll help you."

"I know very little of adolescents but I shall give you my support too, Jack O'Neill."

"I'm in," Daniel said. "Anything to keep a kid out of the system."

"Thanks." Jack smiled. "I'll talk to you soon."

"Yes, sir," Sam said, before hanging up. Jack hung up, smiling, before he began to make the sparse motel room a little more comfortable.

BtVS/SG1

The next morning, Jack pulled on a suit, ready to attend the funerals of both Jessica and Tony Harris and of Willow's parents. Apparently it was a coincidence that the two services were arranged on the same day, although thankfully at different times. Willow's parents were being farewelled at the local synagogue that morning, while Xander's parents were being buried in the afternoon.

When he'd asked Rupert, as Mr. Giles had insisted he called him, Jack had been told that friends of Ira and Sheila Rosenberg had taken over the organization of their funeral, while Tony Harris's brother organized Jess and her husband's funeral.

Jack had accepted the tentative invitation from Willow to her parents' funeral with a supportive smile. Rupert had given him a map of the town with the synagogue and the church where the Harris funeral was taking place, as well as the two cemeteries that had been identified in each couple's will as their ideal final resting place marked on it.

He entered the synagogue ten minutes before the service was due to start, Jack was relieved to quickly spot Rupert, Xander and another teenager that Jack didn't recognize sitting together in one of the rear pews and sidled in alongside them.

"Hi," Xander said softly, his face looking pale. Jack knew that his son wouldn't have slept well during the night, anxious about burying his parents. Jack knew that Willow would be in the same boat, wherever she was.

"Willow and Cordy are sitting with some of Willow's mother's friends," Xander said quietly. "This is Oz, Willow's boyfriend."

"Hi," the other teenaged boy said.

"Nice to meet you. How are you holding up, Xander?"

"I'm okay, I guess." Xander shrugged, before the rabbi got up and began to speak. Jack followed along as best he could, but he didn't understand a lot of what was being said, as it was being spoken mostly in Hebrew. From what he understood, Ira and Sheila Rosenberg were highly respected people within the community and that they would be greatly missed by Willow and their friends and work colleagues.

The service was short and simple, and the graveside burial was also simple. Willow, along with a Rabbi friend of her father's and a few of her mother's friends, put dirt on their coffins as they were lowered into the ground.

Afterwards, Willow was whisked away by friends of her parents, while Jack went back to the Summers' residence with Xander, Rupert, Oz and Xander's girlfriend, Cordelia. They ate lunch together quietly and waited for Willow to arrive.

Once Willow had arrived, having walked from her own house after having lunch with her parents' friends, they drove in a convoy to the small church that the Harris funeral was going to be at.

There was much less people than at the Rosenbergs, but it was also much less formal, which Jack appreciated. Jessica had never been one for stuffy, formal functions.

Xander, Willow and their friends sat in the front pew, the two newly orphaned teenagers holding hands, huddled close. Jack heard Cordelia report to Oz and Rupert that Willow had sat in silence throughout her parent's entire funeral, crying quietly. She'd been mostly ignored by the friends of her mother that she was sitting with, except for overly sympathetic and pity-filled gestures, heap pats, shoulder squeezes, and tittering condolences. Cordelia, who Jack figured up until about a year ago hadn't been friends with the group, had stayed at Willow's side, offering the red haired girl a shoulder to cry on.

Now, though, at the Harris funeral, Xander and Willow were free to comfort one another through contact with one another.

Jack listened to the eulogies as they were read out by Tony Harris's brother, Rory, and one of Jessica's friends. Although they'd never been a wealthy family, it sounded like they were reasonably happy, although it sounded like Tony Harris was very fond of spending his time drinking with his friends at the local bar.

Throughout the whole service and the burial that followed, Xander and Willow stood side by side, flanked by their respective girlfriend and boyfriend, with Rupert and Jack watching on sadly. They were the last to leave the gravesite and Jack glimpsed the tears shining in their eyes before they got into Rupert's car and were taken back to the Summers' residence. He, on the other hand, went back to his motel, hoping that he wouldn't be forced to separate the two of them when it came time for him and Xander to leave Sunnydale.

**A.N. Hi all, I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter. I apologise if the description of Willow's parents funeral was off, but I'm not Jewish, so I had to read up on what the correct practices was, and it was a little confusing. Sorry if anyone was offended by any mistakes I made.**

**I am so thrilled with the feedback I've been getting for this story and that so many of you seem to be enjoying it. **

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, and to my Beta reader. You are awesome. **

**The next chapter will be up soon, I hope. **

**R.W. **


	4. Chapter 4

It was the day following the funeral that Social Services came to the Summers' house looking for Willow, although they already knew that she was temporarily staying there. Jack had been there visiting Xander when they'd arrived, two people in suits carrying a file and with scowls on their faces. He'd seen the fear on Willow's face and the way that Xander had gone straight to her side, giving her a supportive hug. It had made Jack's heart clench painfully when he'd seen the sadness in his son's eyes as Willow was escorted into the living room by the two workers, glancing back over her shoulder fearfully at Xander as though she was frightened she would never see him again.

It had been an anxious wait for Xander while Willow was in the living room with the Social Services people and Jack could only watch on as Xander nervously rung his hands together, his gaze fixed on the door.

"She'll be okay, Xander. They've got her best interests at heart."

"The path to hell is paved with good intentions, isn't that the saying?" Xander replied. Jack nodded sadly.

"I know what you mean, Xander. I wish for you and her it wasn't like this."

"But it is and we just have to deal?" Xander said sadly. Jack sighed.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"This sucks." Xander sighed and Jack couldn't help agree with his son.

BtVS/SG:1

Half an hour later, the doors to the living room were opened and the couple from Social Services emerged, meeting Giles and Joyce in the hallway of the house. Xander immediately got up, glancing over his shoulder at Jack, who nodded encouragingly. Xander grinned before hurrying into the living room. Jack got up and moved to the doorway, smiling when he watched Xander take a shell-shocked Willow into his arms, rubbing her back reassuringly as he whispered softly in her ear.

Willow clung to Xander and Jack felt his resolve grow. Those two needed each other and he was going to fight to make sure it happened. He left the teenagers alone as he approached the group of adults. The Social Services people stopped talking as he joined them.

"This is Colonel Jack O'Neill, Alexander's father."

"How are you? I'm sorry for the loss of your former wife," one of the people said, offering Jack her hand. Jack shook it.

"Thank you. What are your plans with Willow?"

"We don't have many places available for her, unfortunately, so it looks like she'll be going into a group home in L.A. Because she's only a little over a year off turning 18, it's unlikely that she'll get adopted though, unfortunately. Alexander is lucky to have you, sir."

Jack nodded, exhaling through his nose before he voiced his request. "What would happen if I offered to take her in?"

Giles and Joyce both looked up at him in surprise and Jack saw the appreciation they both had in their eyes. The two Social Services people looked at one another.

"We'd have to go through the normal means for a foster carer, but I can't envisage there being a problem, what with you being military. Are you away from home much, on duty?"

"Not for long periods of time and if I am, I have a work friend who can look after them. She has a daughter about the same age as Xander and Willow."

"And you would be prepared to support Willow as she tries to get over her grief. One grieving teenager can be difficult but two could be a handful."

"I'm prepared to do anything that would keep those two happy. Xander and Willow have been best friends for almost their entire lives. I've seen the way they help each other, protect each other. Hell, even now, you can tell that they are the center of each other's world, despite their own grief."

"Mr. Giles, you know them the best. Would you be inclined to believe what Colonel O'Neill is saying?"

Giles nodded, "It would be hard on them to separate now, having lost so much. Especially with having to leave the town they have grown up in. Willow likes having some things that are familiar around her and Xander could offer that for her. It would work the same going the other way."

"Where exactly do you live, Colonel?"

"Call me Jack. I'm based out of Colorado Springs."

"Do you have space for them at your current residence?"

"Yep, two spare bedrooms that I can clear out pretty well," Jack said, making a mental note that he needed to get Daniel to clear out the last few boxes of things he had stored in one of the bedrooms from the last time he had moved.

"And your current income would allow you to support two teenagers for the next two years, at least?"

Jack nodded.

"I think you are doing the right thing," Joyce commented as the Social Services people withdrew a little to talk between themselves.

"Yes, I am very much thankful for what you are offering Willow and Xander," Giles added.

"Those two kids need each other and it would hurt to see Xander lose a friend like that."

Giles and Joyce nodded in agreement and fell silent as the couple from Social Services came back.

"We're going to have to confer with our superiors and talk to some character witnesses on your behalf, Jack, as to your suitability for a role as a foster parent, but otherwise we don't see any reason why you can't have Willow as a foster child."

"How long will that take?" Jack asked

"Not long. A few days to get things sorted out, you should be able to take them both with you when you go back home. We recommend you don't tell either of the children about this until it's confirmed though, to avoid disappointments."

Jack nodded. "All right. Here's the numbers for some of my friends through work." Jack handed over a card with the phone numbers of General Hammond, Sam, Daniel, and Janet written down on it. The two Social Services people nodded before they left the house.

BtVS/SG:1

Oblivious to the conversation that was happening outside the living room, Xander and Willow clung to each other wordlessly on the couch in the living room. Willow's eyes were leaking tears onto Xander's shirt and Xander's eyes were hazy as he rested his head on top of Willow's.

"I don't want to leave you," she whimpered.

"I know, Wills. I don't want to leave you either.

"What's Giles going to do without us? What if Buffy doesn't come back?"

"Cordy and Oz will make sure Giles stays out of trouble, you know, make sure he goes to hospital when he gets a concussion, make sure he has lots of tea. Those sorts of things. They'll manage. As for Buffy, well, there's a new Slayer coming anyway, because of Kendra, so at least the Hellmouth is still going to be protected. We can keep in touch. We can call and Oz knows how to email, so he can become Net Boy. We can still research. I wonder if there's much of a demon population where we're going? We could be the Scooby Gang sub branches."

Willow giggled. "I'm probably going to a group home in L.A. Who knows what kind of demons and vampires are there?"

Xander cringed. "And all the other nasties that come with living in a big city. Maybe you should leave the slayage to the experts."

"Colorado Springs isn't exactly small either, Xander," Willow said and Xander sighed.

"Okay, so no slayage for either one of us. If we ever see Buffy again, she's going to be miffed that we let the skills slip."

"I'm sure she'll understand," Willow said sadly.

"Yeah, I know. It's just going to be weird. For the last year we've lived, breathed and studied all things demonic, vampiric and forces of darkness-ish, and now we aren't going to be involved anymore."

Willow nodded in agreement. "We could always come back after we finish school and are 18."

"Yeah, that's only a year away," Xander said, a small smile crossing his face.

Willow snuggled into Xander's chest, breathing in his smell, storing the scent into her memories so she would be able to remember it during their separation.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Xander. You've been my rock for as long as I can remember. You've been there for me more than anyone else has, including my parents. Whenever I was sad, you knew how to cheer me up. When I cried, you dried my tears. When we lost Jesse, you were there to hold me, even though you were the one who had to stake him. Whenever I was happy, you were the one who'd made me laugh. When I was scared, you were the one that made everything okay. Nothing's going to be okay again, is it? Buffy's gone and I don't think she's coming back. I mean, I know she's died before but it sounded like she went with Angel through the hell portal. Buffy wouldn't run away, not after everything that's happened. She knows that we need her. She knows that, doesn't she, Xander?"

Xander sighed and rubbed Willow's back comfortingly. Willow's fear about going into the system made her lose the maturity she usually possessed.

"Yeah, Willow, you're right. Buffy knows that we need her. She probably isn't coming back, but I'm not going to give up on her. Buffy's going to fight to come back to us with everything she has, and when we've both turned 18, we'll come back to Sunnydale, and if she's managed to come back, she'll tell us about everything senior year at Sunnydale High has to offer."

"Demons at the prom." Willow giggled

"Werewolves at the homecoming." Xander grinned.

"Vampires at graduation," Willow continued and they both laughed.

"I must admit, it's going to be weird to not have weird things happening around us," Xander said, his voice becoming nostalgic. Willow smiled against Xander's shirt.

"You're right. That is going to be really weird."

"What's going to be weird?" Jack asked as he entered the living room. Xander and Willow pulled apart, although Xander still held onto Willow.

"Just not living in Sunnydale," Xander lied. "Not being able to see each other, you know, that kind of thing."

"You'll be okay, both of you."

Xander and Willow looked at one another. Something was up and Jack knew what it was and he wasn't telling.

BtVS/SG:1

Jack was in his motel room a couple of days later when his phone rang. He answered it quickly, hoping that it would be Social Services to confirm whether or not he could take Willow with him. He was leaving Sunnydale with Xander in two days and he wanted Willow to have the chance to say goodbye to everyone and everything that she wanted to.

He'd been helping Xander and his uncle clean up the Harris's house for the last couple of days. Willow had been helping but she had been trying to pack up her own belongings as well, so she hadn't been able to help much. She and Xander had also gone back to school, doing their exams as a formality before spending the rest of the day with Cordelia and Oz on one last double date before their relationships were ended. Xander had been upset when Jack had picked him up afterwards but he hadn't known what to do or say. He settled on patting Xander on the shoulder reassuringly before letting the teenager get over the loss on his own. It seemed to have been effective as Xander had been in an improved mood the next morning.

"Hello?" Jack spoke into his phone.

"Hi, is this Jack O'Neill?"

"Yes."

"My name is Phil and I'm from Social Services. I understand you approached two of my case workers regarding Miss Rosenberg and you taking her in as a foster child."

"Yes, that's right." Jack rolled his eyes at the formality and stuffiness in Phil's voice.

"Well, I have made some enquiries with the people that you gave the details for and they were all highly supportive of your application. Because of your military clearance, the necessary background and security checks aren't really needed, so as long as we pass one last hurdle, then you are free to take Miss Rosenberg in."

"Great. What's this last hurdle?" Jack grinned confidently.

"Miss Rosenberg has to agree. I understand you are familiar with Miss Rosenberg?"

"Yes, I'm her best friend's biological father,"

"Ah, yes. Good. She should be happy with the arrangement then but we need to ask, especially because Miss Rosenberg is an older child. It makes things easier in the long run and we are there to support the child, after all."

Jack nodded. "When are you going to speak to her?"

"Now, actually. Meet me at the Summers' house in half an hour."

"I'll be there."

Jack hung up once Phil had hung up, and grinned. He was pretty sure Willow would be happy to come with him and Xander. The team had pulled together for him. He had been, admittedly, a little worried about what Hammond would say but Janet, being a foster mother, would have held a lot of sway over things. Jack knew he was going to owe them for it. Maybe a little less when they saw how much like Sam and Daniel Willow was.

Honestly, the more time he spent more time with her, the more she made him think of Sam, Daniel and Janet, as if she was a genetic mash-up of the three. It would certainly prove to be interesting once he was a parental figure for her.

Jack grabbed his jacket and the car keys before he headed out of the motel room, locking the door behind him before he drove over to the Summers' residence.

Although he still got there early, Phil and Willow were already in the living room, door closed for privacy. Xander was pacing nervously.

"Hey, what's going on?" Jack said casually, playing dumb.

"A guy from Social Services wanted to talk to Willow. They're going to take her away," Xander said.

"I'm sure it will be a good place and that she'll be happy there," Giles said soothingly, clutching a cup of tea in his hand. Joyce nodded in agreement from where she sat at the kitchen table, which was covered by a tablecloth, which was covering the research they had all been doing about Acathla and the hell dimension when Phil had arrived.

Xander sighed and sat down beside Jack, unconsciously seeking out his father for comfort. Giles couldn't help but smile at the gesture. It was good to see that Xander, at least, would be going into a home with someone he could trust and felt safe around. Giles hoped that the meeting today would be regarding Jack's application to take Willow with him. It was becoming apparent, with each passing day, that Willow and Xander were dreading being separated and if they went together, then Giles would be reassured that, if they did commence some sort of demon fighting in their new area, they would at least have each other looking out for them, rather than going solo.

"How long have they been in there?" Jack asked Giles, who checked his watch.

"About twenty minutes."

"How long is this going to take?" Xander said.

Obviously some form of higher power was listening, because only a few moments after Xander's statement, the door opened and Willow emerged, catching sight of Jack before a broad smile broke out upon her face.

The next moment, Jack had Willow's arms around him as she babbled excitedly, thanking him over and over again. Xander looked from his best friend and his father to a smiling Giles and then to a weeping Joyce, to a pleased looking Phil, and then back at Jack and Willow.

"Did I miss something?"

**A.N. I hope you've enjoyed this latest instalment. It was very fun to write. Thanks to all of the people who have been reviewing, I'm so thrilled with the amount of feedback I've been getting.**

**The next chapter might not be up for awhile (end of semester assignment rush, grrr,) but I'll try and make it soon.**

**R.W.**


	5. Chapter 5

Jack leaned against the truck he had hired to drive back to Colorado as he watched Xander and Willow say goodbye to their friends. Willow was crying as she warmly hugged Oz, who patted her back and said little, just letting her cry on his shoulder, while Xander and Cordelia embraced, his face buried in her hair.

He was drawn from his musing when Giles and Joyce approached him.

"Thanks for looking after them this last week," Jack said.

Giles nodded before he stepped up quite close to Jack, right into his personal space.

"If either one of those two get hurt or are mistreated, then you will have me to answer too. And I am warning you, I do not take any of my charges getting hurt lightly. Do you understand?" Giles threatened. Jack drew back, understanding where the other man was coming from. Giles cared for the teens in much the same way that he cared about his kids.

Jack nodded. "You don't have to worry. I take care of my own."

"That's good." Giles stepped back, clearing his throat and polishing his glasses. He offered Jack his hand, which Jack took.

"It was good to meet you, Jack. I see now where Xander gets much of his personality from."

"Good to meet you too."

"Please look after them. They deserve to be loved after everything they've gone through."

"Will do, Joyce. Good luck with the search for your daughter. I hope she comes home safe." Jack nodded at Joyce, shaking her hand.

"Thank you." Joyce smiled before stepping back. Jack glanced back at the group. Cordelia and Willow were in a tentative embrace, Cordelia muttering something into Willow's ear. Willow giggled nervously and pulled away as Xander and Oz did an awkward, semi-manly hug. Then Xander and Willow moved over to Joyce, both of them hugging her tightly, thanking her for everything.

Then it was Giles's turn. Jack watched as the librarian looked down at his two former charges, the Brit's eyes glistening with barely restrained tears as both Xander and Willow lunged at him, hugging him tightly. Giles wrapped his arms around the teens, burying his head in between theirs as he whispered into their ears. Jack couldn't hear what was said but he saw Xander and Willow's head shift as if they were nodding.

After a few minutes, they pulled away and Joyce pulled a camera from her pocket, snapping a last couple of photos of the teens and the teens with Giles and then Willow and Xander with the truck. Jack narrowly avoided getting one taken of him.

Then it was time to go. Jack moved around to the driver's side seat of the truck he had hired, considering how much stuff the teenagers were bringing, and climbed up into the driver's seat, waiting for the passenger's side door to be pulled open. Glancing across, he saw final farewells being exchanged, along with promises to stay in touch.

Finally, the door was opened and Willow climbed in, followed closely by Xander. They buckled themselves in as Jack started the engine before Xander rolled down the window and stuck his head out.

"If Buffy comes back, tell her to call."

"Like, duh. Of course we will," Cordelia called out. Willow waved her arm out the window as Jack started to drive and in the rear vision mirror, Jack could see the others waving. Xander and Willow waved until they got to the end of the street before Xander closed the window and they sat in their seats normally.

Jack didn't mention the redness in their eyes or the fact that everyone at the house had been crying except for Oz and himself. Willow leaned into Xander and rested her head on his shoulder and he rested his head on top of hers, seeking comfort from each other like they had so much ever since they had lost their parents. Jack blinked.

It was going to be a long drive.

BtVS/SG:1

It was night time when they reached Colorado Springs, having spent two days driving. Willow and Xander craned their heads to see their new home before they clambered from the vehicle.

"Nice house." Xander grinned at Jack, who walked around to the back of the truck, opening it up and grabbing his bag, which he slung over his shoulder, and the nearest box. Willow and Xander both joined him, grabbing boxes as well, before they all walked up to the house. Jack lowered the box so he could unlock the front door before he opened it up, picking the box up and switching the light on as he lead the two teenagers into the house. Willow and Xander stopped in the doorway, looking around curiously. Jack frowned. It was obvious that someone, probably Sam and Janet, had gone through and tidied the place up a bit, because it definitely hadn't been this tidy when he'd left. Sure enough, there was a note on the coffee table. He set the box down on the floor with a thunk and opened it up.

'_To Jack,'_ it read, _'we thought you might appreciate a bit of help tidying up before your house is overrun with teenagers. The spare bedrooms have been cleaned out and are pretty much empty. We put the team's spare clothes in the bottom of the linen closet. The fridge is full and we put some frozen meals in the freezer. _

_We hope things are going well. See you back at the mountain on Monday._

_Sam and Janet'_

Jack smiled and turned around to face to two teenagers. They were still looking around curiously.

"C'mon, I'll show you your rooms."

He picked up the box again, taking the time to note the W written on the top. Obviously it was destined for Willow's room. Jack led the two upstairs, pointing out rooms along the way. His bedroom, the bathroom that they would be sharing, until they reached the two bedrooms. They were both at the back of the house, overlooking the back yard, and there wasn't much difference between them.

"You guys can choose who wants to go where. I don't mind either way. I'll just pop this down and you can put it in wherever."

Xander and Willow nodded and Jack turned to head back to the truck to grab another box, leaving them to sort it out amongst themselves. Both rooms had new beds. Once he knew for sure that Willow was coming with him, he'd called Sam and asked her if she could go and buy two twin beds and he'd pay her back later. They'd already been delivered and set up, so now all they needed were mattresses. Both of them had kept their old mattresses, which were in the truck.

By the time Jack came back with another box, this time one of Xander's, the two had chosen rooms. Xander was on the left and Willow on the right. He dropped the box off in Xander's room, taking the time to glance around. Sam and Janet had done a good job cleaning up the room. Sure, it was a little bare but he was certain Xander would soon give it some personality. Willow would as well.

Jack went back outside and helped Xander maneuver one of the mattresses out of the truck while Willow continued to bring boxes in, both hers and Xander's, and kept out of the way.

It wasn't long before the mattresses were on the beds and it was decided that further unpacking could happen tomorrow during the daylight. Jack locked the truck up and came back inside. Willow and Xander were sitting on the couch together. Both looked nervous but Willow was definitely twitchier than Xander.

Jack sighed, "For crying out loud" he muttered under his breath, before he perched on the arm of the couch.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Jack asked.

At that moment Xander's stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly. Jack snorted as the teens looked mortified.

"Yeah, that's a good suggestion. Pizza sound okay?"

Xander and Willow both nodded sheepishly. Jack rolled his eyes. This was going to be like pulling teeth.

"Okay, while we're all together and not busy, I just want to lay out some ground rules. Rule number one; neither of you are EVER, under any circumstance, to touch my gun."

Xander and Willow rapidly nodded. Xander had told Willow about what happened to Charlie and they both understood why Jack felt the need to introduce such a rule.

"Good, now, while I trust you guys, if Social Services get the slightest hint that something's up, Willow might be sent back to California, so therefore, rule two, if you are both in a room, the door has to stay open."

Xander screwed up his face but nodded while Willow also nodded, although more thoughtfully. Her parents always used to have a similar rule when Xander was around.

"Rule three, this is your house. I want you to feel comfortable here. Therefore, you can go wherever you want in the house, touch whatever you want, eat whatever you want, drink anything non-alcoholic you want in this house. Connects to rule four, no drinking booze until you're 21, or I tell you otherwise on a special occasion or something."

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," Xander said with a grimace, thinking of Tony. Willow shuddered.

"Definitely not."

"Good to hear, rule five connects to my work. If someone from my work, or me, comes to you and tells you to do something, no matter how weird it is, just do it. I'll introduce you to the people it would be and we'll organize a safe word, so you'll know if someone's lying, but, well, I have enemies and they wouldn't be above hurting you two to get to me. That's it, rule-wise, for now."

"Nothing regarding homework?" Xander said.

"Well, I'm not going to sit on you to make sure you do it, you're both old enough now to take responsibility for it, but I don't want to hear about you two slacking off either."

"Can I ask some questions?" Willow asked quietly. Jack nodded.

"Sure."

"What do you want us to call you?"

"Just Jack is fine."

"Okay then, are we allowed to stay in contact with our friends back in Sunnydale?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, of course."

"Whew," Xander sighed in relief, "okay."

"Do we have a curfew, because I don't really want to get in trouble if we stay out late?" Willow asked, managing to control her urge to babble.

"Um, how about 2200 hours for now, but we'll make rule six to let me know when you're going to be out and what time you expect to be back," Jack replied. Xander and Willow nodded.

"That's ten o'clock at night," Jack elaborated, not sure if they were familiar with twenty four hour time.

"We know," Xander said with a grin. Jack rolled his eyes mockingly.

"Geez, way to make a fool out of me."

Xander laughed and Willow giggled. Jack reminded her so much of Xander that it was impossible for her not to kind of like the guy. Jack glanced at the clock on the wall and grinned.

"The Simpsons are on. Why don't you guys turn on the TV while I organize pizza. Any requests for toppings?"

Xander and Willow told him their preferences and Jack picked up his phone while Xander found the remote and switched on the TV. Once he had placed the order, Jack dropped into a chair, since the couch was occupied, and watched his favorite yellow-skinned family as they moved around on the screen, chuckling at their antics. He felt his eyes shift across to the two teenagers. There hadn't been any tears or yelling or arguments yet, which he took to be a good sign.

Maybe this whole parenting gig wasn't going to be so hard after all.

**A.N. Well, they're in Colorado Springs now, and Jack's laid the ground rules down. Let me know if things seem a little OOC still, as I'm still hashing out how Jack and the SG:1 characters speak. **

**I don't know when I'll be able to update again, as I'm busy with my studies, but it should hopefully be soon.**

**Let me know what you think. Thank-you to everyone for the feedback I've been receiving. It's been great. Thanks also to my Beta reader, who is great. I own mistakes, but nothing else.**

**R.W. **


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning found Jack on his way into Hammond's office yet again, although this time it wasn't because he was in trouble.

Or, at least he hoped not.

He hadn't seen any of his other team members, having gotten to the SGC and been directed immediately to the General's office. He hoped it wasn't about his team. He didn't want to hear that Carter or Teal'c or Daniel had gotten hurt.

Jack knocked on the door before opening it, deciding it would be best if he was a little cautious.

"Ah, Colonel O'Neill. How was the trip back?" Hammond asked from his desk as Jack cracked the door open.

"Long, sir," Jack replied honestly.

"Ah, and how are the children settling in. I was quite surprised when you rang me to inform me of the situation."

"They're coping. They've both lost their parents though, so they're very quiet."

"What are your plans for them?"

"Well, since it's summer vacation now, I was just going to let them entertain themselves, you know, unpack and get settled into the new house, start to learn their way around town. I'm taking them up to the cabin next down time the team has."

"Good, and after that?"

"Sending them to finish off high school with Cassie. After that, it's up to them but I think they could be good candidates for the Air Force Academy. I checked their grades the day I went and pulled them from their old school and Willow could get in now if she wanted do. She has the grades to do it. She reminds me of what Carter must have been like when she was sixteen. Xander, well, he's more like me than I expected he would be, since I haven't seen him since he was little."

Hammond chuckled at the idea. "Jack, they aren't going to be like Cassie. Cassie knows a fair bit about what we do here. Your kids don't have clearance."

"I know that, sir," Jack replied.

"They know that you might not be home every night?"

"Yes, and they know that sometimes they might have to go and stay with Janet if I get busy."

"Good."

"I'm going to introduce them to the team some time during the week. Barbeque at my house."

"Good idea. All right, Colonel. Have SG-1 report to the debriefing room at 1100 for your next mission."

"Yes, sir." Jack got up and left the office, heading down to his own office and scowling when he opened the door to discover that someone had seen fit to decorate his office with pale blue and pink balloons and streamers. A banner with 'Congratulations on the new arrivals' written on it had been hung on the wall and a basket had been placed on his desk. Jack cautiously approached his desk, peeking into the basket. Inside was a bottle of scotch with a tag reading 'We thought you might need this after dealing with two teenagers' written on it. He chuckled softly. Also inside was a book entitled 'Parenting Teenagers for Dummies' and two photo frames, one titled 'Daddy's little boy' and the other 'Daddy's little girl'.

"Jack O'Neill, I see you like the gifts we brought you," Teal'c commented form the doorway. Jack glared.

"Yes, I'm glad you're all having a laugh at my expense."

"You're welcome," Teal'c replied.

"Where are Carter and Daniel?"

"In their offices, I believe."

"Right, we've got a briefing at 1100 in the briefing room about our next mission. I'm going to go and see Sam and Danny."

"I shall go with you," Teal'c intoned as Jack walked out of his office, closing the door behind him.

The pair walked down the corridors of the SGC, stopping off at Sam's lab.

"Hey, Carter, you busy?" Jack called as he entered his second-in-command's domain. Sam's head bobbed up from where she'd been studying some form of technology.

"Colonel, you're back." She grinned happily, getting up to greet him.

"Nice touch to decorate the office, Carter." Jack grinned. Sam had the decency to look sheepish

"Well, sir, I just thought it might be nice to, well… celebrate their arrival."

Jack snorted in amusement.

"Sir, I'm sorry for your loss though."

"Losing Jess? We were never going to make it as a couple. We were kidding ourselves when we tried. I still loved her though. Still do, in fact, but not in the same way. She was Charlie's mom, after all, and even though she didn't come to the funeral, I know she still cared about him."

"She didn't go to her own son's funeral? Is that not usual?" Teal'c asked, his eyebrow raised. Jack knew this was how his friend conveyed his surprise. He shrugged in reply.

"I figured she was trying to forget about me and our past together and that she was focusing on Xander and her new husband, Tony. She hadn't seen Charlie since he was about six months old."

"Did your son know about Charlie?"

"He eavesdropped on Jessica telling Tony but didn't know how. I told him when I got there. I'm not going to go keeping secrets from him. I think he told Willow about it because they both accepted rule one last night."

"What is rule one?" Teal'c asked.

"I introduced house rules. They're pretty basic, though. Don't touch my gun, that's rule one, no being together in a room with a closed door, no alcohol until you're 21, stuff like that."

"Probably a good idea. They are teenagers after all." Carter admitted, remembering her own teenaged years.

"Yeah, I can't picture it being too much of a problem though," Jack said. "They're good kids."

"Who are good kids?" Daniel asked as he wandered into the room.

"Colonel O'Neill's recently acquired children," Teal'c answered.

"Oh, right. When are we going to meet them?" Daniel smiled. He wondered if Jack's son would be much like him and about the girl that Jack was saving from the foster system. Who knew what she was like?

"I don't know, I was thinking of holding a barbeque one night this week. Just us, the kids, Janet, and Cassie. I don't want to overwhelm them and Hammond's already reminded me that they don't have clearance."

The others nodded.

"Right, we have a briefing at 1100 up with Hammond. Don't be late. I'll be in my office if you need me."

"Yes, sir," Sam said, turning back to her little project, and Daniel wandered back out. Teal'c followed the archaeologist out and they headed off together while Jack walked back to his office. He looked at the decorations, a wry smile spreading across his face, before he sat down at his desk and sighed heavily, deciding that he probably start trying to get through the paperwork that had built up on his desk during his absence.

BtVS/SG-1

Little was Jack aware that SG-1 was running a pool, along with other people from the base that knew about the colonel's children, on how long it would take for him to call up home and check in on them.

Sam won when Jack called home just after the briefing.

Xander and Willow had apparently continued their unpacking and making themselves at home at Jack's house and were almost finished. In the afternoon, they were planning on going for a walk around the local area to have a look around.

Jack had told them to be careful and to take a map while Daniel and Sam struggled to hide the smirks on their faces.

Jack called his house again at about three in the afternoon, much to the amusement of Sam and Daniel. Xander and Willow had just gotten back from their walk and were just chilling out in the living room on the couch, watching some TV. Jack had relaxed marginally and sent his team out of his office, getting them to go back to their own labs so he could attempt to get back to his dreaded paperwork.

BtVS/SG-1

Xander stretched his hands above his head and yawned widely as he woke up. It took him a moment to recall where exactly he was as he gazed up at the unfamiliar roof from the unfamiliar bed. Then he remembered Angelus' rampage and the consequent deaths of so many. Jenny Calendar, Willow's parents, his parents, Kendra (although admittedly Angelus hadn't laid a hand on the second Slayer, it had been Drusilla), and finally Buffy and the resulting move of both him and Willow to his biological father's home in Colorado Springs.

Groaning, Xander got up and staggered out of his bedroom, going into the bathroom to do his morning ritual.

Once he had finished, Xander poked his head into Willow's room but she was already up, so he threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt and hurried downstairs.

Willow was sitting at the table in the dining room, quietly drinking a glass of orange juice. Xander smiled at her.

"So, did you sleep well?"

Willow knew what Xander meant. Did she have nightmares about finding her parents' bodies? Xander had had a few since his own grizzly discovery but Willow had it worse. Xander wasn't sure why, maybe because Willow had tried to keep a good relationship with her parents despite their neglect, while Xander had long since given up on feeling anything positive about his parents after everything they had put him through during his life, especially his father's drunken physical abuse and his mother's apathy.

While they'd been staying with Joyce most nights, they'd stayed in Buffy's room together and Xander had held onto Willow as she trembled and cried in her sleep while trying to fight off his own demons.

"Okay, I only woke up twice. How did you go?" Willow asked, sipping her orange juice.

"Only once, but I was awake for a bit afterwards. It wasn't too bad though." Xander shrugged.

"You should have woken me." Willow said, frowning in concern.

"No, you heard what my dad said. I don't really want to blow one of the rules on the first night. Where is he anyway?"

"At work, he left a note; it says that he should be home at about six. What do you want to do today?"

"Unpack, I guess."

"Yeah, I suppose we should. Try and make ourselves more at home."

Xander nodded and began to glance in the cupboards looking for something to eat. He found a loaf of bread and a toaster, so he made toast for himself and Willow for breakfast.

Once they had finished their breakfast and washed up their dishes, Xander found the key for the truck and they went outside. Xander rolled the back of the truck up and lowered the ramp before Willow climbed up and they both collected a large box each.

"I guess this gives a chance to unload those boxes Giles gave us as well," Xander said as they carted the boxes down the ramp and into the house. Willow nodded.

When hearing that they were going to be departing together and fearing that the two teenagers had earned a reputation amongst demons that would result in them being targeted, Giles had packed up two heavy wooden chests with assorted basic research books, some weaponry and a few basic spell ingredients, just in case Willow and Xander had the need to defend themselves.

Having put the first box of things they had brought up in their rooms, Xander and Willow returned to the truck, approaching the two wooden chests cautiously. Xander tried to pick it up and groaned.

"What the hell did Giles put in there?" he asked. "And how did he get them in here?"

"I think I saw him levitate them or something," Willow said as Xander knelt on the ground in front of the chest that was labelled with masking tape as his and carefully spun the combination lock. The lock clicked open and Xander removed it, opening the chest and wincing as it creaked.

There was a stack of books at one end, all of them some of the more basic editions that were written in English from Giles' extensive collection of demon and occult-based texts. The rest of the trunk was occupied by assorted weaponry, including an axe, a couple of knives, a large amount of stakes, a collection of crosses and a pair of crossbows with arrows. Xander let out a low whistle.

"The G-man's thought of everything," he told Willow, who was at her own trunk, having opened up the combination lock on it. Xander got up and looked over Willow's shoulder. There seemed to be more books in hers, as well as a tranquilizer gun and some darts that went with it, in addition to the stakes, holy water and crossbow that Willow used on patrol. There was also a pair of knives and a light sword.

"I think he's a bit worried about us being attacked. I thought Colorado Springs was supposed to be a demon free area, or, you know, at least fewer numbers than on the hellmouth. We could take on the hellmouth with all this, or well, at least put a good effort into trying." Xander observed dryly at the small arsenal Giles had given them. Willow could only nod in agreement.

"No rocket launcher though," she commented, and she and Xnader just looked at one another before they started laughing. The idea of hiding a stolen Rocket Launcher in the house of a Air Force Colonel was a bit far fetched, even for them.

BtVS/SG-1

Xander and Willow worked throughout the morning, bringing in boxes and rearranging their new bedrooms. Some of the things they left in the truck because they knew they would need Jack's help getting it out, but other than that everything was inside. Together, they managed to get the two wooden chests up into their rooms and had safely hidden them in their wardrobes, just in case they were ever needed.

They began unpacking their boxes of ordinary items for a little while before having a break for an early lunch, during which they were called by Jack. Once they'd reassured him that they were okay and they hadn't somehow burned the house down, they finished eating and decided to go on their walk.

It was a quiet, peaceful suburb and it reminded them a little of Sunnydale. There was a park near Jack's house and Xander felt a pang in his chest as he wondered what it would have been like if he'd been allowed to grow up with Jack. He imagined he'd have spent a lot of time on the play equipment and playing catch with his father.

Willow too was caught up in her thoughts. She watched as a couple played with their little girl on the playground, wondering if her parents had ever played with her like that. She couldn't remember her parents actually going to the playground with her. The few memories she had of going to the playground with her parents involved Willow playing with Xander while her mother or father sat in a chair, reading a book or a newspaper and not paying any attention, despite how much Willow had looked wistfully back at them.

Eventually the two teenagers dragged themselves from their turbulent thoughts and headed towards their new home. It was strange, however, that on their entire walk they passed no churches and no cemeteries.

"I have a feeling we're not on the Hellmouth anymore, Willow," Xander said. Willow nodded as they drew level with their new house and let themselves in with the key that Jack had left them that morning.

Just in time for them to answer Jack's phone call. Willow let out a sigh of relief as she hung up the phone after talking to her new guardian.

"Good thing we made it back in time to answer that," she told Xander, who had turned on the TV. She sat down beside her best friend.

"Why do you say that?" Xander asked.

"I think he would have panicked a little. He sounded very relieved that we were home safe. He said he was going to be back home at about five-thirty, or, um, 1730." Willow mentally counted hours in her head. She was pretty sure that it was right. Xander nodded, automatically knowing, thanks to the soldier-by-possession, how 24-hour time worked. The one aspect of math he knew more about than Willow.

"Great. Look, the Simpsons are on."

The two teenagers settled down on the couch, letting themselves relax and unwind and trying to move on from the traumatic week and a half that they'd experienced.

**A.N. Finally an update. YAY. I'm on holidays now, so we'll be back to one update a week (with a bit of luck, anyway.) Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, your support and encouragement been wonderful and I really appreciate it. Thank-you to my Beta reader, for fixing up any mistakes she spots, and generally making me sound better than I do (Which is good, because have a cold at the moment and generally sound not too well.). **

**Anyway, hopefully there will be a new update next week some time. Your reviews give me the much needed feedback that help me know when I'm getting things right (or wrong)**

**R.W. **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Jack walked through the front door of his house, smirking as he heard the TV running in the background. He poked his head into the living room, relieved to find Xander and Willow on the couch together, looking up at him. Xander beamed.

"Hey, you're home. How was work?' 

"I did paperwork and I had a meeting with my commanding officer," Jack replied. Xander cringed.

"Sounds kind of boring."

Jack snorted. "It was. What did you two do today?"

"Unpacked, went for a walk, you know, to look around the local area, and just watched some TV. You know, relaxed."

Jack nodded. "How's the unpacking going?"

"I think there's a couple of boxes that we might need some help moving, because they're really heavy, but other than that it's mostly done," Xander replied. Willow nodded in agreement.

"Sure. Do you want to do that now before we have dinner?" Jack asked.

"If you want." Willow shrugged and glanced at Xander, who nodded.

"Okay, then."

The three headed out to the truck and together moved the last few boxes into Xander's and Willow's new rooms. The job done, Jack and Xander went outside to lock up the truck. When he came back in, Xander and Willow were sitting on the couch together. Jack studied them for a moment and sighed before approaching the pair cautiously and crouching down in front of them.

"How are you two going, really? I know I kind of just ditched you two here but I want you to know that I'm here for you, both of you, if you need me, okay?"

Xander nodded, touched by the older man's thoughtfulness. "Thanks. We're okay, I guess."

"As well as can be expected," Willow added. Jack nodded before he moved away, giving the teens their space. He wasn't sure why but he wasn't getting much reaction from Willow. He didn't know if she was still in shock from her parent's murder, which was completely understandable if she was, or if she was naturally a shy, withdrawn type of person or if she wasn't sure how to deal with him, considering his role as Xander's biological father and her adoptive/foster father. Maybe it was because he was a guy. He hoped Sam or maybe even Janet could break through, if that was the case. Maybe it was a combination of all of those factors or maybe Jack was just missing something.

He hoped that, soon, he'd figure out what the hell it was.

BtVS/SG-1

It was approaching two in the morning when Jack was abruptly woken by screaming. It took a moment for his sleep-muddled brain to realize what was creating the noise before he was up, pulling a sweater on over his bare chest and, glad that he was wearing his boxers, racing from his room and down the hallway towards Xander and Willow's rooms. He saw Xander whip out of his room, opening Willow's bedroom door and racing in, and Jack followed his son into the room.

Willow was sprawled out in her bed, the blankets tangled around her legs as she tossed and turned, crying out, obviously in some form of nightmare. Xander was at her side almost instantly, running his fingers through her long, sweaty hair and muttering comfort. Willow struggled, moving her head away from Xander's hand. Xander moved his arms to encircle her and pulled her close. Willow moaned and clung onto him

"Mom, Dad!" she cried. "Please, no. Not them. Please not them."

"Shhh, Willow, it's okay. Wake up, it's a nightmare."

"Buffy. It hurts. It hurts so bad. Angel!"

"Willow, wake up."

"No, Ms. Calendar. Not Ms Calendar. Please."

"Willow," Xander said. Willow groaned, going limp in Xander's arms. Then her head moved, her eyes opening groggily.

"Xan?" she croaked out, her voice hoarse from yelling.

"Yeah, it's me. You okay?"

"Yeah. That one was bad." Willow rested her head on Xander's shoulder and sobbed, tears leaking from her eyes.

Jack watched from the doorway, ready to step in if he was needed, however he was pretty sure that all Willow needed at that moment was for Xander to be her rock. At that moment, Jack was certain that he'd done the right thing by not letting Xander and Willow be separated.

"You okay, Willow?" Jack asked quietly. Willow looked up at him, nodding shakily.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm sorry for waking you."

Jack shrugged. "Don't worry about it. You can't help it. Do you want anything?"

"Um, maybe a glass of water. Is that okay? I can get it." Willow moved to get out of bed but Jack grinned and shook his head.

"Nope, it's okay. I've got it."

Jack hurried out, trusting Xander to look after Willow while he was getting her some water. He'd seen how shaken she was by the nightmare, how pale she had been, how she had seemed to shake in Xander's arms. He got a glass and filled it from the tap before carrying it back upstairs to Willow. She hadn't moved from her place in Xander's arms. She accepted the glass from him carefully, sipping from it slowly.

"Do you get nightmares much?" Jack asked, perching on the edge of the bed, but still a respectable distance from Willow and Xander. He didn't want to scare or crowd them.

"Yeah, just this one was worse than most," Willow said softly, avoiding his eyes. Jack cursed under his breath when he saw the flush of Willow's cheeks. She was embarrassed about having nightmares.

"Trust me, nightmares are commonplace here."

"You have nightmares?" Xander asked, both curious and surprised. Jack smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, trust me, being in the Air Force, you see a lot of bad things you wish you can forget but you can't. I sometimes have my teammates over when they're hurt because they all live by themselves, and I think waking up to them screaming or crying over something is kind of common. And, well, yeah, I scream a bit too in my sleep. Don't try and wake me, though, because I'm a bit like Wolverine. I lash out when I wake up from a nightmare."

Willow blushed. "I kind of lashed out once too. Took a few days for the bruise to fade on Xander's face."

"It took longer for your bruise where I hit you the first night to go away," Xander replied, smirking slightly. Willow giggled.

"Well, yes, that's true."

Jack snorted in amusement. "Well, I wouldn't brag about bruises, guys. You try and wake me up and you're liable to end up with broken bones. Heed the warning."

"Right, don't wake you up from a nightmare. Got it," Xander quickly said, looking a little alarmed. Willow giggled.

"Just do it from out of arm's reach," she told him and they both laughed.

"End of a broom, maybe?" Xander suggested and Jack snorted. He sought out Xander's eye and gave him an approving nod. Jack could tell what Xander was doing, trying to make Willow forget about her nightmare.

Jack sat with Willow and Xander until Willow yawned. He took it as his cue to leave. He got up, smiling and dramatically yawning.

"Well, some of us old people have to go to sleep. I'll try to be quiet in the morning so I won't wake you."

"Thank you for the drink, Jack."

"You're welcome, Willow."

"Can I stay in here for the night?" Xander quietly asked. Jack looked at his son and saw the same puppy dog eyes that Charlie had used. It was amazing how much Xander looked like an overgrown Charlie at that exact moment.

"As long as you keep the door open."

"All right," Xander said happily, nudging Willow over so he could lay down beside her on top of the covers.

Jack rolled his eyes and headed back to his room but not before he detoured briefly into Xander's room and grabbed a spare blanket off the bed, returning to Willow's room and throwing it over Xander, who grinned sheepishly up at him before snuggling back down beside Willow, who had looked like she was pretty close to being asleep again already.

"Goodnight, guys."

"Night," two voices mumbled from beneath the blankets. Jack chuckled before walking from the room. He went back to his room, collapsing back onto his bed. He was asleep within minutes.

BtVS/SG-1

Jack dressed quickly the next morning before heading down to the kitchen. He cooked up some toast and made some coffee. Once he had finished getting ready for work and had eaten his breakfast, Jack smiled wryly, picking up his phone from where he had left it on the bench top, and crept back upstairs and headed down the passageway towards Willow and Xander's room.

He walked through Willow's open bedroom door quietly, smirking when he beheld the pair that lay on the bed together. Willow's head rested against Xander's shoulder and their heads were touching. Even though Xander wasn't lying under the covers with her but just under his blanket, it looked like they were lying as close as possible. Jack smiled and opened up the camera function on his phone, glad that Sam had talked him into buying a model with a decent camera built in. Aiming the camera at the bed, Jack hit the shoot button. The phone clicked quietly as it took the photo and Jack nodded happily before he hit the save button on his phone and ducked out of the room quietly. He collected his things and left the house, driving off to the base.

BtVS/SG-1

Upon arriving at the SGC, Jack headed down to Carter's office. Sure enough, she was there, going over pre-checks for their mission that day. He smiled as he entered the office.

"Hey, Carter," he greeted.

"Good morning, sir. How are you today?"

"Fine. I've got something to show you."

"Oh, what?" Sam smiled and walked up to him. Jack pulled out his phone and opened up the photo he had taken that very morning before passing the device over to Sam. Sam looked at it, a wide grin breaking out on her face.

"Is this…?"

"Yeah, Alexander and Willow. It's just Xander though. She had a nightmare last night and we were up for awhile together. He wanted to stay with her and, well, she was still a little freaked out, so I let him. He isn't under the covers though. I just chucked the blanket on top of him before I went back to bed."

Sam quirked an eyebrow. "You tucked him in?"

"No, I just put the blanket over him. I don't want a sick, whiny teenager moping around the house," Jack defended.

"You should go and show it to Janet. It's very sweet, she'll like it."

"I will after the mission. I'll distract her with the photo, she'll forget to jab me with the big needles."

Sam snorted and handed Jack his phone back.

"You almost finished in here?"

"Almost, sir."

"Good, I'm going to go and check on Daniel and make sure that he's ready to go."

"Yes, sir."

"See you later." Jack hurried out of Sam's office, leaving the Major to her preparations. He headed off to Daniel's office, poking his head into the room curiously and checking if his friend was there. Predictably, Daniel was pouring over his books.

"Hey, you ready for today's mission?"

"Yeah. How were the kids last night?"

"Good, still freaked out by their parents dying though. Willow woke up screaming through the night after a nightmare, poor kid." 

Daniel nodded understandingly, remembering how long nightmares about his parents' death had plagued him after it had happened. From time to time, he still had them.

"Xander was looking after her when I left," Jack said, showing Daniel the picture on his phone. Daniel pushed his glasses further up his nose before peering at the screen. He smiled.

"Cute. I'm guessing they don't know that you took that."

"Nope, they sleep like the dead."

"Of course they do, they are teenagers."

Jack chuckled before taking the phone back.

"Have you told them much about us, or you know…" Daniel gestured vaguely towards the direction of the Stargate.

"Nope. They know I'm military but they don't know what I do for the military or which base I'm at. They've got emergency numbers to call; mine, yours, Carter's, Janet's, and if none of us respond, General Hammond. I'll explain part of what we do at the barbeque. You up for it if I have it tomorrow night?"

Daniel nodded, shrugging. "I'd never say no to one of your barbeques, Jack. Besides, I want to meet the kids."

Jack pouted. "Why do I get the feeling that the kids are popular than me?"

"Probably because they don't have your bad habits." Daniel laughed and Jack chuckled good-humoredly before he waved goodbye and headed off to his office to undertake his final preparations.

**A.N. Yay, another chapter finished. Thanks to everyone who has been giving me feedback, it's been really great. I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter. Thanks also to my Beta reader. I own all mistakes (but nothing else.)**

**The next chapter should be up next weekend, with a little luck.**

**R.W. **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Jack was quiet as he let himself into the house. The mission that day had been routine, going to a new planet to explore. Daniel had been happy because he'd found some type of rock that was particularly exciting and Carter had been happy because she'd found some sort of device that she could play with and Jack was happy because none of his team had been injured.

Jack was pretty sure Teal'c was happy too but it was kind of hard to tell.

But once they'd come back and gone through the usual process of going to the infirmary and then debriefing with Hammond and then writing up reports and paperwork, Jack was a bit later home than he had been the previous night. In the note he'd left out for Xander and Willow, Jack had said that he was going to be late but time had had the cheek to get away from him, and now Jack wasn't sure where he stood with the two recently relocated teenagers.

Jack knew that, given a bit of time, he would be in over his head. Cassie had him wrapped around her little finger and once Xander and Willow got over what they'd gone through and started to come out of their shells a little, Jack would be helpless against them.

Heck, they were already changing him. Six months ago, Jack O'Neill wouldn't have burst into Sam's lab first thing in the morning just to show her a photo on his phone of two sleeping teenagers.

Jack checked the living room and found it deserted, although he could tell that Xander and Willow had been in there today, judging by the two bottles of water left on the coffee table, sitting on top of the TV guide.

Guessing that they were upstairs, Jack headed up, planning on getting changed into a pair of jeans and a sweater. Sure enough, he could hear voices coming from the bedrooms at the other end of the hallway from his, so Jack quickly changed, having already had a shower at the base, before heading down to see what his two charges were up to.

Following the sound of their voices into Xander's room, Jack was pleased to find them unpacking Xander's boxes of things into the cupboards and drawers that were in the room.

"Hi," Xander greeted. "Rough day at the office?"

"Wasn't too rough, but it was long. I swear I was drowning in paperwork."

Xander laughed and Willow smiled.

"Have you guys eaten?" Jack asked.

"No, we were kind of waiting for you and we got caught up in unpacking stuff," Willow explained.

"Wow, is that what time it is?" Xander said, obviously not having realized what time it was and having just looked at the clock.

"Janet and Sam made up some meals for us and froze them. I'll heat one of those up."

"Good idea. All of a sudden I'm kind of hungry." Xander grinned. Willow slid off Xander's bed, where she had been sitting, and followed Jack from the room and Xander followed after her.

As Jack opened up the freezer, he chose a meal, smiling when he saw the label.

"How does casserole sound?" He asked over his shoulder. Xander and Willow nodded enthusiastically and Jack put it in the microwave to thaw it out and heat it up. While he did that, Xander got out plates and Willow set the table with cutlery.

Before long, the casserole was hot and Jack served it up onto the plates Xander had gotten out while Willow poured her and Xander glasses of soda to drink. Jack grabbed a beer from the fridge and they carried their own plates over to the table. Ravenously, they all dove in.

There wasn't much conversation going on, the three too hungry to pause eating. Once the casserole was gone, Jack leaned back in his chair.

"Remind me to thank Janet for that," he told Willow, who nodded.

"Don't know who that is, but okay," she said. Jack slapped his forehead with his palm.

"Damn, I forgot to tell you guys. Tomorrow night I've invited some of my friends from work around to meet you. It's just going to be my team and Janet and her daughter Cassie. We're going to have a barbeque. Does that sound okay?"

Xander and Willow nodded, both of them highly curious about Jack's friends. They sounded like an interesting bunch. In the living room that day, Willow had been looking at some pictures, it hadn't been forbidden, so she figured it was okay. She'd found a photograph of a group of people that she guessed must have been Jack's team. Jack stood in the middle, laughing about something. He had his arm thrown around a tall, blonde woman, who was also laughing. There was also another man with glasses, who reminded Willow forcibly of a much younger Giles and stood on Jack's other side, and a very tall dark-skinned man, who was wearing a beanie and had a very neutral expression on his face, but Willow could see the amusement twinkling in his eyes.

Then there was another photo of the same group of people with another pair, another woman, who had auburn hair and a kindly expression on her face, and a girl who looked to be about 15 in the picture. Willow had assumed that this was Janet and Cassie.

They all looked so happy together, like they were a family, and not for the first time, Willow felt doubt well up with in her. It was obvious that Jack had only taken her in out of pity and as a companion for Xander when Jack was away with work. She could feel that his team, once they met them, were going to accept Xander immediately as Jack's son and she would be the little orphan with no one left who gave a rat's arse, so Jack, being the great noble man he was, took her in under his roof to save her from foster care.

The only reason Willow was staying was because of Xander. She didn't need someone caring about her like this. She wanted to go back to Sunnydale before the whole Angelus saga ever started. Back before she and Xander were driven form Sunnydale, back before Buffy had been sucked into hell or killed or had disappeared to God knows where, back before Jenny died and Giles' heart was broken. Hell, why didn't she just bring Jesse back while she was at it?

Xander had found Willow in hysterics in the living room as she looked over the photos. He had carefully put the objects away, not taking notice of them, and focused instead on his best friend. He'd sat on the couch with her for a while before he decided that they should watch a movie. He'd found Jack's copy of the Wizard of Oz and had put it on and they'd watched it, Willow tucked up in his arms safely as her tears slid down her cheeks and onto his t-shirt, thoroughly wetting it by the end.

Satisfied that Willow had calmed down by the end of the movie, Xander went and put on a clean t-shirt while Willow packed away the movie. They'd drunk some water before they'd gone upstairs to finish unpacking Xander's things. That had been where Jack had found them.

Jack looked from one of the teens to another, sensing that they were both caught up in memories. He felt worry flare up within them. Maybe it was too soon for them to be thrown into a social situation. They'd lost everything they'd ever known in the space of a week. Jack knew that he didn't count for Xander. Before the call saying that Jess was dead, Jack hadn't seen Xander since he was about six months old, barely old enough to sit up by himself, let alone remember anything.

Eventually Xander nudged Willow and she shook her head, dragging herself back into the present. "Um, yeah, sure, a barbeque sounds fun. Do you want me to do anything?"

"Nope, I've got it organized, don't worry." Jack reassured, "All you two have to worry about is being here."

"Well, that's a relief," Xander said, smiling, glancing across at Willow, who nodded.

"So, what did you two do today, other than unpacking? Anything fun?"

"We watched the Wizard of Oz." Xander shrugged. Jack smiled.

"It's a classic. Obviously you've inherited my taste in good films."

Willow giggled at that, thinking of Xander's taste in films, which had become very similar to hers over the years. Over time they'd just melded their favorite types of movies, because usually they went together to go and see them or watched them on TV together.

Willow thought about how they used to quote movies back and forth. It had been their thing, Buffy hadn't been involved. Jesse had been a little, but Willow and Xander had been the main ones who had done it, like the Snoopy Dance at Christmas time while they watched the Charlie Brown Christmas episode. Willow smiled privately to herself as she thought of how she'd unpacked the much-loved video from one of Xander's boxes and he'd taken it from her and put it up on his bookshelf, ready for Christmas to roll around again. She wondered what Jack would think if he came home to find her and Xander watching a children's cartoon, dancing around the living room. Hopefully, he wouldn't think they'd gone insane and have them committed.

Xander snorted. "Yeah, I must have, because you like the Simpsons as well."

"A lot of people like the Simpsons though," Willow pointed out.

"Touché," Xander conceded.

"You guys done?" Jack asked, eyeing their empty plates.

"Oh, yeah. I couldn't eat a bite, which is saying something. Willow used to say my stomach was a bottomless pit."

"That was until I met Buffy though." Willow laughed as he began to stack up plates. Xander snorted.

"True, very true."

Willow picked up the dirty dishes and carried them into the kitchen before she started to fill the sink with water so she could start washing. Jack moved to help her.

"It's fine. You cooked, or well, heated up. I'm fine to do the dishes and Xander can dry."

"Must I?" Xander asked from the doorway. Willow shot a resolve face in his direction.

"I'm drying." Xander sighed, locating a tea towel. Willow quickly got the washing done and Xander dried while Jack watched on in surprise. Janet said these days getting Cassie to help with chores was challenging but maybe it was still because Willow and Xander were trying to make a good impression upon him and the novelty of living in a new house hadn't kicked in yet.

Either way, the dishes were soon finished and the three of them headed into the living room.

"Do you two mind watching some sports? My favorite hockey team is playing tonight."

"It's your TV," Xander said, plopping down onto the couch. Willow sat down beside him and Jack sat in his favorite char and switched the TV on with the remote, channel surfing until he found the right channel, and the three settled down to watch the game.

"I must admit, I've never watched hockey on TV before," Xander commented to Willow at one point in the game.

"All I know about it is what I learned when we watched the Mighty Ducks Movie," Willow replied. Jack's jaw dropped at their comments. How could they not know much about hockey? It was one of the best sports out.

"Well, let me educate you, then," he said with a smile.

**A.N. Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, I really appreciate it. Thanks also to my Beta reader. Your editing really makes a difference to my work.**

**R.W.**


	9. Chapter 9

The next day as he left the SGC, Jack reminded Janet and his team about the barbeque he was hosting. Teal'c was coming with Daniel and Sam was going to finish off the report she was typing about the technology she had found on the planet they had visited on the previous day before she headed home to get changed and heading to Jack's. Janet was just finishing up the post mission medical examinations she was running on the newly returned SG-7 before she headed back home to collect Cassie and get changed and made her way to Jack's house.

Jack stopped by the supermarket on the way home and picked up the meat and some bits for salad, knowing that Janet would want something at least marginally healthy on the table, as well as some drinks. Even though it was a school night and they all had work the next day, there was nothing to stop them from having a drink or two and then drinking soda or water or whatever for the rest of the night.

He couldn't picture it being a late night, since all of the adults had to be at the base bright and early in the morning anyway.

Jack quickly drove home, carrying the shopping bags in from the car. He was pleasantly surprised when he walked in to find that the living room was clean, as was the kitchen. The doors out to the deck were ajar and he could see Willow and Xander sitting out on the wood. Xander was holding a phone to his ear and Jack guessed that his son was talking to one of his friends back at home. Shrugging his shoulders, he put the shopping away and then went upstairs to get changed out of his uniform.

BtVS/SG-1

Willow woke up early but she lay in bed until she was sure that Jack had left for work. Then, she got up and got dressed before she padded softly down stairs. She got herself some cereal and sat down at the dining room table to eat it.

She reflected back on the previous night when she'd kept thinking about everything she had lost. It wasn't that she resented Xander's father, she'd be eternally thankful for taking Xander and herself in. If he hadn't, they would both be in foster care, almost definitely not together and who knew where. At least here in Colorado Springs, they were together with a roof over their heads, food in their stomachs, being looked after by a nice enough guy, and the best part was that there were no demons. Or at least, that was what Giles had said. He'd asked around and none of his contacts had ever heard of Colorado Springs being a hotbed of demonic activity.

Willow had been relieved, ready for a break from the constant slayage. The battle against Angelus had been especially tiring with heavy losses on their side and the added strain of it being, well… Angel that they were fighting.

Willow thought about the spell she had cast in hospital. She was convinced it had worked. Cordelia had told her about how her eyes had gone strange and she'd started talking in some weird language, so something had definitely happened.

And then there was the comment Giles made when she was packing up her things. 'Don't fiddle with magic until I tell you otherwise.'

Giles was scared about her magic. Willow was, too. It hadn't done Ms. Calendar any good and the stories she'd heard from when Giles had been learning the art were frightening. Back on the Hellmouth, the idea of being able to do magic so she could help Buffy out and protect everyone had been appealing, but now that she and Xander were relatively safe from the supernatural, the appeal was gone. From what Jenny had told her, though, it was too late to squash her powers away now. She'd done a spell and it had been powerful. Not everyone could resoul a vampire (even though Willow wasn't sure whether it had even worked or not) and once someone used that kind of power, there was no going back.

Realizing that her cereal was quickly becoming soggy, Willow ate it up, rinsing her bowl in the sink before leaving it there, making a metal note to come back after she and Xander had eaten lunch and do the dishes, since they were having visitors that evening.

She wondered what Jack's work colleagues were like. She had little experience of military people, other than Jack and the man Xander had become on Halloween. She found herself thinking of her mother and father's work colleagues, the one who had pretended to know how she felt at their funeral, the ones that had patted her on the shoulder or ruffled her hair and had shaken their heads, their eyes filled with false pity, talking about how great her parents had been and how privileged she was to have had such wonderful her parents had been.

She knew that Jack's friends wouldn't be like that, she couldn't see the hardened colonel taking that kind of talk and she doubted that any of Jack's friends would have known her parents since she never heard her parents referring to any acquaintances that were in the military.

Willow hoped that they were nice people, since it sounded like Jack spent a fair bit of time with them outside of their work hours. She hoped they wouldn't resent her and Xander for possibly affecting the amount of time they could spend together, although the fact that Jack wasn't the only one who had a child would probably mean that it wouldn't be an issue.

She thought about the girl, Cassie, that Jack had mentioned would be there and would be in the same year as she and Xander at school, at the same school. She knew it was unintentional on her foster father's behalf but she resented the girl privately. The idea of she and Xander being friends with another girl so soon after Buffy's… disappearance was upsetting. It felt like she was betraying Buffy's trust. They didn't even know if Buffy was alive or dead or trapped in another dimension, or even if she was a vampire. There was no way they could know unless Giles discovered a way to track her down. Even another Slayer being called wouldn't be a giveaway, because of Kendra's death a mere day before. The Slayer line didn't even go through Buffy anymore, or at least, Giles thought it didn't.

Willow hoped that Buffy was okay and that she would return to Sunnydale. They needed her there. Giles, Joyce and everyone else that they were friends with. Not just because she was the Slayer, but, well, she was Buffy.

Willow had been so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear Xander coming down the stairs or hear him going into the kitchen behind her. She felt his hand on her shoulder and let out a loud squeal, whipping around. Xander held up his hands apologetically.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized.

"I guess I'm a little on edge still and I got caught up in my thoughts again. It's okay," Willow said. Xander got his breakfast ready and Willow glanced at the clock. Xander had slept in, it was approaching ten thirty. She'd been lost in her thoughts for longer than she anticipated.

Willow sank into a chair and ran her fingers through her hair, wincing as her head twinged as she ran her fingers over a sore spot. Although she had recovered quickly following her coma, her head still hurt from time to time. She knew Jack was aware of it and the fact that Xander had lightly sprained his wrist and been slightly concussed the same day, but he hadn't mentioned either injury to them. Willow was thankful for that.

"How is your head feeling?" Xander asked, obviously noticing the gesture.

Willow sighed. "Much better, it just hurts every now and again, and I've finished the medication they gave me, so I think it's going well. How's your arm?"

"It was a little sore after we'd been moving boxes around and carrying things inside, but a good night's sleep is enough to make it feel better. I should take it easy today though."

Willow laughed. "Alright. What do you want to do?"

"Jack has a pretty cool movie collection. Do you want to give them a workout?"

"OK," Willow conceded. "As long as you help me clean up a bit this afternoon. We do have guests coming tonight."

Xander rolled his eyes but nodded, knowing that Willow would simply hit him with the Resolve Face until he complied. Willow smiled and waited for him to put his dishes in the sink before they went into the living room.

BtVS/SG-1

After spending the rest of the morning and half of the afternoon watching a couple of movies, Willow washed up the dishes in the kitchen while Xander dried. Then she tidied up the kitchen and the living room. They headed out into the yard together and looked around at the deck. Xander spotted the barbeque and knew that they would probably be spending most of the evening outside.

The outside area was already tidy, so they quickly straightened things up a little before Xander paused for a moment, glancing at his watch, shrugging and heading inside. Willow watched him from where she stood on the deck, puzzlement on her face when he returned with a blanket and the phone.

"Do you want to talk to Giles or Oz or anyone?" he asked. Willow smiled, accepting the phone from him while he spread the blanket out onto the deck. They both sat down on it and Willow dialled Giles' home number. The phone rang a couple of times before it was picked up.

"Hello? This is Rupert Giles speaking," Giles answered formally.

"Hey, Giles, it's Willow."

"Oh, Willow, how are you? Is Xander with you?"

"Yeah, he's right next to me."

"How is Colorado Springs? Is the Colonel good to live with? Are you happy?"

"It's… different here. I mean, in some ways it's the same but in others it's really different. No demon sightings yet but then we haven't been looking. We've only gone for one walk and that was during the day."

"Willow, I know that I said that Colorado Springs wasn't an area of high demonic activity but I still don't want you and Xander patrolling. It is dangerous after all and not all dangers are non-human in origin."

"I know, Giles."

"Have you done anything else interesting? How are you settling?"

"Just been settling in, really. We've been watching some movies and tonight Jack has invited his friends from work around for a barbeque so we can meet them. One of them had a daughter about our age, so that will be nice. Have you found any sign of Buffy?" 

"No, unfortunately. Oz and I went to the mansion the other day and we couldn't find any trace of her or Angelus."

"Is that good or bad?"

"I'm not sure," Giles admitted. "But we've been doing lots of research to find out where Buffy is. I'm sure we'll track her down soon."

"I know you will," Willow said softly. "You've always been there for all of us, you won't give up on Buffy."

Giles was quiet for a while and Willow could imagine him polishing his glasses furiously.

"Yes," Giles eventually croaked, his usually clipped tone choked up with usually hidden emotions. "How is your head recovering? I'm afraid we all quite forgot about your injury and its severity in the chaos."

"It hurts a little from time to time, but it's getting a lot better. I'm not on the pills they gave me anymore."

"That's very good, Willow. I'm glad you are feeling much better."

"Do you want to talk to Xander?"

"If you like." 

"He's gesturing for the phone, so I better give it to him. I'll talk to you soon, Giles. I miss you. Tell Oz, Cordelia and Joyce that I say hi the next time you see them, and… and if you find Buffy, tell her that we're okay and that we miss her, alright?"

"I promise," Giles said solemnly. Willow nodded, even though she knew that Giles couldn't actually see her.

"Okay, Giles, I'll pass you to Xander now. I miss you. Bye." Willow handed the phone over and lay back on the deck, resting her head on the blanket-covered wooden planks. Xander leaned back casually, running his fingers though his hair.

"Hey, Giles, how's life on the Hellmouth going?" he asked. Willow closed her eyes and listen to the wind gently blowing through the trees, letting the sound of Xander's voice wash over her as he talked to Giles. It sounded very similar to the conversation she had shared with the librarian. Apparently at one point, Cordelia had walked in and been handed the phone, because Xander's voice changed slightly and he started saying Cordelia's name to the phone.

Willow heard the front door open and glanced at her watch. It was later than she'd thought. Glad that she'd cleaned up earlier, Willow looked over her shoulder as she spotted Jack look at them through the living room before heading upstairs, leaving some shopping on the kitchen bench. Willow let out a sigh and allowed herself to relax as she watched the clouds drifting by.

Colorado Springs wasn't home, but, one day, maybe, it would become a home for them both.


	10. Chapter 10

Willow and Xander walked side by side back into the house as Jack came downstairs, showered and changed into casual clothing. Willow was carrying the blanket they had taken out and Xander had the phone in his hand, smiling sheepishly.

"How's everyone in Sunnydale. Has your friend turned up yet?" Jack asked as he entered the kitchen. He noticed the surprise that flickered across the faces of the pair, as if they hadn't expected him to remember that their friend was missing, let alone care enough to ask.

"Things are okay, but Buffy hasn't turned up yet. Everyone's keeping busy searching for her," Xander said.

"I hope she turns up soon and that she's safe," Jack said

"Me too," Willow agreed before she hurried back upstairs to put the blanket away. Xander put the phone back on the charger, running his fingers through his hair, messing it up a little.

"How was your day?" Xander asked conversationally.

Jack shrugged. "It was fine, my work friends are coming over in half an hour, is that okay?"

Xander shrugged. "Yeah, we tidied up the house a bit, you know, since they were coming over."

"I noticed. Thanks for doing that. How's Willow been today?"

"Quiet, although I think hearing Giles helped her a little," Xander replied vaguely.

"She's lucky to have a friend like you." Jack smiled at his son. "You've done a great job looking out for her, just like she's been looking out for you. I'm glad that you're both here for each other. How have you been today?" Xander shrugged in reply.

"Talking to Giles and Cordelia was good. I hadn't realized that I was missing them already," he admitted.

Xander nodded and hurried upstairs, wondering if he should get changed into something that was a little tidier than the clothes he was wearing. He heard Willow rummaging in her drawers and guessed that she was making the effort to get changed, so he would as well. He sighed before pulling his old t-shirt off over his head.

BtVS/SG-1

Willow and Xander were sitting in the living room chatting quietly between themselves when there was a knock on he door. They both turned around in the couch, squirming so they could see the front door. Jack, who had been in the kitchen (having refused the teenagers' offers of assistance), hurried to the door, glancing through the peephole quickly before pulling the door open.

"Hi, Carter, glad you could make it. Come on in." Jack smiled at the new arrival before stepping aside and letting a tall, blonde-haired woman into the room. Xander and Willow got up and approached the two adults, curious about the stranger, although Willow hung back a little shyly behind Xander.

"Carter, this is my son, Alexander Harris, and his best friend, Willow Rosenberg. Guys, this is Major Samantha Carter, my Second-in-Command on my team." Jack introduced.

"Call me Sam." Sam smiled as Xander shook her hand, followed by Willow.

"Xander." Xander smiled. Willow shrugged.

"Um, just Willow is fine."

Sam smiled as she studied the two teenagers. Xander looked little like Charlie from the pictures she had seen but he had the same eyes as his father and there were other features that they shared. They were unmistakably related, though.

Willow struck Sam as being incredibly shy and sweet. Jack had told her about how Willow had struggled with nightmares and that she seemed to be struggling to cope with Jack being so involved in her life. Sam wasn't a psychologist but she was inclined to believe that Willow's issues stemmed from her parents' very recent and traumatic death and not from any other issue, but she had still been happy to help Jack and the teenaged girl as much as she could.

"Are any of the others here yet?"

"No, you're the first to arrive. Cassie is probably still getting ready with Janet and Daniel called me just before. He's on his way, one of the other teams found something that he needed to have a look at."

"Anything interesting?" Sam asked, understanding that Jack couldn't say much given that Xander and Willow were standing nearby.

"No, he said that it wasn't really anything to do with us," Jack replied casually. Sam nodded, relaxing a little. Now wouldn't be a good time for some text of importance to show up. Not when Jack was only just getting used to the idea of his newly rediscovered fatherhood.

"Do you want a beer?" Jack asked. Sam nodded and Jack went into the kitchen to fetch two from the fridge. The four people went into the living room and walked out onto the deck.

"How are you finding Colorado Springs?" Sam asked the two teenagers as Jack passed her a beer.

"It's alright. It's a lot bigger than our old home town." Xander shrugged.

"We haven't seen that much of it yet though," Willow added.

"You're from California, aren't you?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, in Sunnydale. It's about two hours north of L.A. It's not very big though," Willow replied.

Sam smiled, glad that she'd been able to get the young redhead out of her shell a little.

"That sounds great. Did you go to school there? What were your favorite subjects?"

"Xander and I used to go to Sunnydale High School. I like math and science the best. What do you do at your work, other than be a Major?" Willow said. Xander and Jack had moved over to the barbeque and Xander was watching his father set up the apparatus, leaving the two girls to talk.

"I actually have my Doctorate in Astrophysics, so I do a lot of work with deep space telemetry. When I was at school, I liked math and science as well."

Willow's eyes seemed to light up a little, happy to find someone who she shared a common interest with.

"Astrophysics, that's cool. Do you like computers?"

Jack looked over his shoulder at where Carter and Willow stood together. Sam was chattering away to Willow and even though Jack couldn't hear what Carter was saying, he could see from the look in her eyes that she only got when she was talking about geeky things. His eyes usually glazed over at that point but Willow's eyes were wide with excitement and Jack could tell that she was soaking everything Sam said up like a sponge. Sam look thrilled that she had such an enthused listener.

"Looks like Willow's made a friend," Jack observed quietly to Xander, who had a sad smile on his face. Willow had lost her role model in Jenny and would miss out on receiving guidance from Giles as well. It was good for her to have found someone new to be a role model for her.

"Yeah, she seems to be nice," Xander settled himself with saying.

"Carter? Yeah, she's good. She's smart and she's great to have on my team. I trust her with my life."

Xander couldn't help but think that Sam reminded him a lot of Buffy. He was drawn from his musings when they heard someone knocking at the door.

"That'll be Daniel and Murray," Jack said, heading inside so he could answer the door. Sam, Xander and Willow followed him into the house, watching as Jack let two men into the house. Xander and Willow watched the two strangers, studying them.

"Daniel, Murray, this is my son, Xander Harris, and his best friend, Willow Rosenberg. Xander, Willow, this is Daniel and Murray." Jack introduced. Murray inclined his head.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both," he said in a deep voice. Xander nodded in reply.

"Uh, yeah. Likewise," he said.

"I'm sorry about your parents," Daniel said and Willow knew he was being sincere.

"Thanks," she said with a small smile.

"How are you settling in to your new home?" Murray asked as SG-1 and the teenagers made their way out to the deck and sat down in some chairs Jack had gotten out.

"It's okay," Xander said with a shrug. "We're getting there."

"Have Janet and Cassie gotten here yet?" Daniel asked Jack. Jack shook his head.

"No, Cassie's probably still getting ready, or something."

Daniel laughed. "I haven't seen her in awhile."

"She was busy with the end of the school year for the last month or so. We'll probably see her a bit now that summer's here," Sam said.

"Cassandra Fraiser was very happy to learn about Xander and Willow Rosenberg." Murray added. Willow quirked an eyebrow at the way Murray spoke but said nothing. She knew that the way she and Xander spoke was often difficult to understand, especially when she was babbling, so she wasn't going to be picky. Maybe Murray was from somewhere far away, like Giles had been. (Although Willow was fairly certain that he wasn't from England.)

The group all turned around when they heard a car pull up in the driveway.

"That'll be them," Daniel said needlessly. Jack nodded and went to answer the door. None of the others moved, so Willow and Xander decided that they could stay were they were too.

Willow and Xander sat in a comfortable silence once Jack had gone to let the next guests into the house, shooting curious glances at Sam, Daniel and Murray. They could tell that they weren't the only ones sending curious glances. Daniel wasn't quite as subtle about it as the others but Xander and Willow had trained themselves to be aware of their surroundings and others within those surroundings, so they knew that Sam and Murray were looking at them as well.

"Have you been working with my dad for long?" Xander asked.

"Seven years, give or take a little," Sam replied. Xander nodded, his heart sinking a little. He had hoped that Jack's friends would be able to tell him a little about his twin brother, but Charlie had been dead before they'd begun to work with Jack, so Xander didn't have many expectations of them knowing much more than he did.

"Wow, that's a long time," Willow said softly, knowing what Xander had been hoping to find out. She discreetly squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"Hey, look who I found," Jack called as he walked out onto the deck. He was followed by a woman and a girl that was about the same age as Willow and Xander. The girl looked at them curiously and smiled brightly.

"Hi, I'm Cassie," she introduced herself.

"I'm Xander and this is Willow," Xander replied, smiling to himself. Cassie reminded him a little of Buffy, but not in a way that was painful for him.

"It's nice to meet you, Cassie," Willow added.

"This is Doctor Janet Fraiser," Jack introduced Janet to Xander and Willow, "Janet, this is Xander and Willow."

"It's nice to finally meet you both. The whole base has been talking about the Colonel's children." Janet smiled kindly at the pair. 

"Thanks for the casserole you left in the freezer, it was really good." Xander grinned. Willow mentally rolled her eyes. Why was it that the way to a growing boy's heart was through his stomach? She didn't get it.

"It's my pleasure, Xander. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Thank you for bringing Cassie out to meet us, Doctor Fraiser," Willow said shyly, her mother's lectures on creating a good first impression ringing though her head.

"Oh, it was my pleasure, Willow. I was just as curious as she was. Like I said, you two have been the talk of the base."

"We have?" Xander croaked, glancing at Willow. So much for staying low-key. If someone in the military knew something about the supernatural and made the connection, it wouldn't be good.

"Don't worry, Xander. It's okay," Jack said reassuringly, seeing the slight alarm on his son's face. "It will be another day and they'll all have something new to gasbag about, and you'll be old news as far as they're concerned. Who's up for some food?"

There was unanimous consent and Jack put the meat he had bought on the barbeque, leaving everyone else to mingle together. Xander and Willow crept inside and stood close together.

"You okay?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, it's better than I thought. Jack has lots of friends. Sam is nice."

"At least you won't have to worry about having to call Giles just so you can have intelligent conversations." Xander smiled. Willow hit him on the arm.

"You and Jack would have been intelligent enough, but I get what you mean."

The two stood in silence, listening to the conversations occurring out on the deck. They all sounded happy and normal, Xander found himself thinking as he and Willow stood quietly.

Maybe normal was what he and Willow really needed after eighteen months of living through hell on the mouth of hell.


	11. Chapter 11

As the evening progressed, Xander found himself relaxing and enjoying himself as he spent time with Willow, Cassie, Jack, and the other adults. Cassie kind of reminded him of Buffy, but at the same time she was so different from the blond slayer. Different enough that her presence wasn't painful for him in reminding him of Buffy, who was either dead or trapped in a hell dimension.

Janet was nice but Xander got the feeling that she wasn't the type you wanted to annoy too much. She was kind of like Joyce. Xander smiled as he remembered Joyce fighting Spike on parent-teacher night. Nope, Janet would be someone that Xander would try to stay on the good side of.

Murray was a little different, and Xander had trouble reading the taller man's emotions. Hell, they were impossible to read. Still, he was nice, and Jack obviously trusted him. Xander decided that, for that moment, he was going to trust Jack, for the time being about Murray.

Daniel was interesting and reminded Xander of Giles. He was polite and friendly and he chattered away to the whole group. Xander felt at ease and liked the sound of Daniel's voice. For a few moments, he was back in the school library at Sunnydale, watching as Giles lectured them about something. Like Cassie, it wasn't painful for Xander to see Daniel, he wasn't enough like Giles for that, but there was a similarity there.

Then there was Sam. Xander smiled as he watched Sam and Willow talk to one another. They were very alike in their interests and had a lot to talk about, without even going into whatever it was that they did up at the base and what Willow and Xander had done previously in their spare time. Xander felt a little bit of the guilt he carried within him for pulling Willow along with him away from Sunnydale to Colorado Springs, even though he knew it wasn't actually his fault, slip away as he watched Willow giggle at something Sam had said before replying. Xander knew he could trust Jack but he wasn't sure how Willow felt about his father. It, however, looked like she'd formed a bond with Sam, which Xander was happy about. Willow had someone she could look up to and trust and that was all that mattered.

Xander glanced over at his father as he thought of him. It had been good to see Jack interacting with others. Joking around with them, teasing with them. Xander knew that Jack wasn't sure of what to say to him and Willow and everything came across as being a little strained, and Xander knew he and Willow weren't helping by keeping quiet and reasonably withdrawn, so it was good to see Jack interacting with his friends socially. Xander hoped that one day, when everything that had happened in Sunnydale wasn't so fresh, that Jack would be like that with him and Willow as well.

Xander was drawn from his musings when Jack cut across Daniel.

"Hey, Danny, did I tell you that Xander and Willow were in a study group back in Sunnydale. Myths and legends and ancient languages."

Daniel's eyes widened. "Really?" the archaeologist asked. "Which ones?"

Jack looked at Xander, who shrugged. "Um, we'd started on Latin, but I'm not so good at it. Willow's better at it than I am. I was more interested in the archaic weaponry and doing food runs than anything else."

"Which languages can you speak, Willow?" Daniel asked excitedly. Willow blushed.

"Um, Sumerian, a little Latin although I'm not very good, a little ancient Greek but not much, and a little Gaelic. I'm still learning and we haven't been doing it for long, a little under eighteen months. I studied French in school as well," Willow sheepishly admitted. Daniel let out a low whistle. It was an impressive list, since Willow hadn't been studying the languages for very long.

"Like I said, Research Girl," Xander whispered to Jack, a touch of pride in his voice. Jack nodded in understanding.

"Wow, and I have enough trouble with just one foreign language," Cassie joked. Willow blushed a little.

"I had a good teacher." She shrugged. "Our old high school librarian knows heaps of old languages and he was teaching me so I could help him when we were researching, um… things."

"Old myths and legends and the occult," Xander added helpfully.

"Interesting topics for a group of high-schoolers to be studying," Sam commented. Willow swallowed nervously but Xander smiled.

"Willow liked the research and it was really interesting, not to mention that our teacher had a couple of weapons that we sometimes got to train with, under heavy supervision, of course. You know, swords, axes, big knives, crossbows. That was my favorite part."

Daniel, Sam, Janet and Cassie all snorted in amusement and Teal'c quirked his eyebrow.

"He is so much like you." Sam smiled at Jack, who shook his head. He wasn't overly impressed with the idea of his son and his friends using weapons, supervised or not, but Jack knew that he really had no say in the matter. He hadn't been involved in Xander or Willow's lives at that point and Jack assumed that their parents had given their consent to it happening. At least they had been under the supervision of a trained adult.

Besides, if the group was focused on ancient myths, legends and the occult, then Jack doubted that guns would be involved. Xander and Willow were fine and hadn't been badly hurt, so he knew he had no grounds to say anything.

There was no way they were going to pick up the subject again though unless Jack was satisfied that they would be safe and properly supervised. They were only kids, after all.

BtVS/SG-1

Sam studied the pair of teenagers closely as they interacted with the rest of SG-1, Janet, Cassie, and one another. Alexander reminded her strongly of what she imagined the Colonel being like when he was a teenager. They looked very similar and Alexander had obviously inherited the infamous O'Neill brown eyes. She had seen glimpses, when the boy was with Willow, of how much he cared about her and the loyalty he had towards her, just like Jack did towards those he cared about, like the rest of SG-1, while at the same time she caught glimpses of the loveable, light hearted jokester that she saw in Jack. It was fascinating, considering that Jack and Alexander, or just Xander as he preferred, had not seen one another since Xander was a small baby, even before his first birthday.

Willow, on the other hand, reminded Sam of how she imagined Daniel when he was younger. Willow didn't look particularly confident in her surroundings and she was looking around nervously, kind of like Daniel was prone to doing sometimes when he was uncomfortable in a situation. Sam didn't blame Willow, not in the slightest. Her entire world had, in the last few weeks, been turned completely upside down. Still, Sam found herself being highly impressed by Willow's interest in science and technology, as well as her knowledge and interest in ancient languages.

In the back of Sam's head, she had the thought of how great an asset both Willow and Xander would be for the SGC. Willow, with her knowledge and interests, was much like a mixture of Daniel and herself while Xander could become a great leader, like his father was. She shook her head, pushing the thought away though. It would be at least seven years before either of the pair could join the SGC, and who knew what could happen in that lengthy period of time.

Sam glanced across at Jack, who was talking to Teal'c. She watched as he broke of eye contact with Teal'c, glancing across the room, seeking out Xander and Willow, checking up on them, before returning his attention to Teal'c. It was a quick, sudden movement, Sam was sure that Jack wasn't consciously aware that he'd done it. Sam was familiar with the action, though. Jack was known to do the exact same thing to Daniel and to a lesser extent herself, and Teal'c when they were off world. It was a protective behaviour, allowing the Colonel to check up on his charges and reassure himself that all was well. In that exact moment, Sam knew that already Xander and Willow had found themselves a place in the heart of Jack O'Neill.

BtVS/SG-1

Janet found herself watching the two teenagers throughout the evening. It was obvious, even to her, that both of them were still struggling to get over the tragic deaths of their respective parents and their forced move to Colorado Springs. She couldn't even imagine what they were going through. Sure, their situation was strikingly similar to Cassie's, but at the same time it was vastly different. Jack hadn't told her much of the circumstances that had lead up to Xander and Willow's arrival in Colorado but she did know that both Xander and Willow's parents had been murdered in their homes on the same night while the teenagers were out and that it was suspected that the same individual was behind both sets of murders. Jack had confided in her that he was fearful that Xander and Willow were being targeted by someone and had speculated on whether or not Willow's recent coma and Xander's now healed arm injury, the result of an attack on the school library, was connected to the murders. Janet was personally inclined to believe that yes, the incidents were connected, but there wasn't any real proof. At least now Jack would be able to protect them both if someone came after them.

Janet watched Willow as she ate. She looked like she'd gotten over her embarrassment from earlier and had positioned herself next to Xander, so she was close to him. Jack had asked her to watch Willow in particular to see if she was recovering from the coma. Janet had agreed, although she doubted that she'd be able to get much information by just watching the girl. Still, Willow seemed happy to eat and she didn't look dizzy or as if she was in pain. Janet, in fact, thought that she looked well, except for the paleness of her cheeks and the shadows under her eyes, and Janet knew that the signs of weariness were more likely connected to her lingering grief regarding her parent's death rather than the coma and head trauma she'd suffered.

She noticed how cautious Xander and Willow were when they were interacting with the others, with Willow tending towards being shy towards everyone except Xander (and occasionally Sam, when Willow got particularly drawn into what the older woman was saying), while Xander was polite and chatty towards everyone but physically kept his distance from everyone except his best friend.

Janet hoped that, given care, time and affection, Xander and Willow would settle down in Colorado Springs just as well as Cassie had.

BtVS/SG-1

Cassie smiled brightly at Xander and Willow as they sat beside one another. When her mother had told her that Jack was going to have his seventeen-year-old son move in with him, Cassie had been thrilled until Janet had reminded her that Jack's son didn't know about the SGC and therefore Cassie couldn't talk to him about it. She'd been looking forward to being able to talk about the Stargate and the things that happened on the other side of it with someone her own age. Her excitement had begun to build once again when Janet had told her that not only was Jack bringing his son back form California, but he was also taking in his son's best friend. Cassie had wondered what they would look like, and if they had seen many celebrities. They were from California after all.

Xander looked a lot like how she imagined him, very much like a younger Jack. He acted like his father as well. Willow, Xander's shy, red-haired sixteen-year-old best friend was nice too. Cassie was in awe of the younger girl's intelligence but she knew not to say anything further. Willow had already proven that she was easily embarrassed and Cassie didn't want to make her new prospective friend uncomfortable.

Cassie could sympathize with what the pair were going through. It had sounded like a horrible way for their parents to die. It had brought back memories of when her own family had perished. Losing your parents, then being forced to come to a whole new world had been a frightening and daunting experience. She didn't want to think how hard it would be for Xander and Willow, even though they had only had to come across a couple of states to their new home, and they still had one another as security in the new environment.

They were, in a way, lucky though. Cassie could see how much Jack cared about them already and she knew that he was a great guy. She looked up to him, and he'd always been there for her if she'd needed him. He was like an uncle for her and Cassie was in no doubt that Jack would take his role of being a father for Xander and Willow very seriously.

BtVS/SG-1

Daniel relaxed into his chair beside Teal'c as he ate his meal, enjoying the flavors. Jack cooked up a good barbequed meal. He pretended to be focused on his food, using the observation techniques he'd picked up off-world to watch Jack's new teenaged charges without them noticing. He sympathized with them completely, knowing and understanding how it felt to suddenly lose your parents and have your entire world ripped out from under your feet. Of course, Daniel couldn't help but begrudge their luck to have been taken in by someone like Jack and not been left to languish in the foster care system, particularly Willow who Jack had held no responsibility for. At her age, she had little chance of being adopted and who knew what kind of home she would get. There were many nice foster families out there and Daniel had even stayed with a few, but there were also, unfortunately, the not so nice ones. He'd stayed with a few of those as well, so he was relieved for Xander and Willow that they'd managed to escape the system that he had been dragged through.

Daniel continued to observe the pair. As the evening had progressed they had grown a little more relaxed around them but neither of them looked completely at ease yet.

He'd been pleasantly surprised when Willow had told them the languages she was starting to learn and Daniel had immediately wondered whether or not she planned on continuing to learn the languages. He would be happy to teach her when he was off-base and not on duty. She sounded like a keen student and it would be nice to spend time exploring languages that weren't found on other planets and found on obscure artefacts. He did enjoy his job immensely but it would be a nice change for something on the side. Daniel had held off saying anything, though, until after he checked it with Jack first.

Xander was so much like Jack it was uncanny. Despite the teen's insecurities over being surrounded by strangers, Daniel could see so much of Jack in him. Not just physically, but in the way Xander acted as well.

Daniel smiled to himself. Willow was a lot like Sam and Xander was a lot like Jack. It was almost as if they were going to be a little family unit. Daniel had a gut feeling that it would only be a matter of time until Sam's maternal side kicked in and she started to consider Xander and Willow as her children. He'd seen how much Sam liked spending time with Cassie and he could see the trait extending through to Xander and Willow easily, especially given the interests Sam and Willow shared. Daniel wondered how long it would be before Sam would start teaching Willow about astrophysics.

He would bet that wouldn't be long at all.

BtVS/SG-1

Teal'c surveyed everyone as he looked around the room. Sam, Janet, Cassie and Daniel were all watching Xander and Willow, but trying not to be obvious about it. Teal'c was curious about the pair of human teenagers himself but he found it amusing that everyone else seemed so interested in them. The young boy, O'Neill's son, was very much like his father and the girl, Willow Rosenberg, was quiet, polite, but very insecure and shy. Teal'c could not remember Cassie or any of the other young humans he had met being this quiet and reserved. He assumed it was because they had just lost their parents.

Teal'c was inclined to agree with Jack in thinking that there was a connection between what had been happening recently to Xander and Willow, the attack on the high school library, the murder of the computer teacher, the disappearance of their best friend, and their parents' murder. It was all too coincidental.

Still, Teal'c hoped that they would be safe now. He would protect them, just like he protected his team. Teal'c swore that he would make sure that they stayed safe and weren't hurt by anything or anyone who meant to harm them.

They were O'Neill's children, his family, and by extension they were part of Teal'c's family as well.


	12. Chapter 12

Xander sat sleepily at the kitchen table, watching as Willow drank her morning orange juice. The barbeque meet-and-greet the previous night had gone late, and Xander was glad he didn't have to be at work the next morning, like all the other adults had to.

As it was, he and Willow had slept in later than what was usual for them and, as a bonus, their sleep had been uninterrupted by nightmares for what seemed like the first time in weeks.

The house was quiet and empty, compared to what it had been like the previous night, and Xander was pleased to note that the house was clean and there wasn't any trash lying around or anything. Obviously Air Force personnel cleaned up after themselves a lot better than Tony Harris' friends ever had after having a party, which wasn't difficult. Xander shuddered at the memory of having to clean up the cans and bottles that had once contained alcohol, the trash, the vomit and the burnt cigarette butts that had littered the family while both his parents slept.

"What do you want to do today?" Xander asked. Willow paused, chewing her lip thoughtfully.

"Please don't say we could start studying for our senior year… please?"

Willow smiled. "I wasn't going to suggest it, although now you mention it…"

"Willow," Xander groaned. Willow shook her head.

"Just kidding. I was just thinking, maybe we could go for a long walk or maybe a run around the local area."

"Why?" Xander said.

Willow shifted her feet and glanced around. "I was thinking, we've put a lot of effort into making sure we're in shape for you know, slaying, it would be shame to put all that effort to waste. Besides, we can talk."

Xander groaned wearily and finished off his breakfast before he headed upstairs and put shoes on, knowing that Willow was right. Willow met up with him back at the bottom of the stairs.

"So, we should head to that park that we went past last time, there was a running track around it, and some fitness equipment we could use for a added workout," he told her as they left the house, locking the door behind them and taking a key. Willow nodded, knowing that Xander was letting the soldier left inside him on Halloween to plan an appropriate training session.

They set off at a quick walk and soon reached the park and did some stretches. Xander set the pace at a steady jog and they did three laps of the park, not wanting to overdo it since it had been awhile before they both had worked out like this. Not since before Willow's coma and the attack on the library.

By the time they reached the starting point again, they were breathing heavily (It was a pretty big park) and Willow's legs had begun to ache, so they sat down ad stretched some more.

"So, what did you think of Jack's friends last night?" Xander asked as they stretched.

"They were alright, I guess. Murray was a little odd. There's something about him that, I don't know, hints demon but not a demon, if you know what I mean," Willow replied, glancing around to ensure that they were alone.

"I think you've picked up on Buffy's spidey sense but you're right. There was something a little… odd about him, wasn't there?" Xander agreed

"Maybe he's one of those benign, vegetarian demons, the ones who can live peacefully with humans, you know, without killing any," Willow said hopefully

Xander snorted. "Is there such a thing?"

"Giles told me about some, they live in Sunnydale. I even met a couple one day when Giles needed to borrow a book off them."

"Oh, right, maybe, I guess." Xander frowned.

"What's wrong?" Willow asked, seeing his frown.

"I kind of just wished, that we'd gotten away from all this… you know, demons and vampires and stuff, and especially demons that are supposedly good."

Willow nodded, knowing that Xander was referring to Angel and the whole saga with Angelus.

"I know, but hopefully it won't be an issue, and if it becomes an issue, well, we've got a good supply of demon slaying stuff, thanks to Giles. We'll handle it. Once a Scooby, always a Scooby."

"I guess, I just don't want to lose Jack like we lost our parents. He… he feels more like my dad than Tony Harris ever did."

Willow nodded. She'd begun to quite like Jack and she would be very sad if something happened to him. 

"Enough about Murray, what did you think about Sam and Daniel and Janet and Cassie?" she asked. Xander shrugged.

"Daniel just made me think of Giles. A younger, American Giles, but Giles all the same. Sam made me think of what I imagine older you to be like, and Janet made me think of Joyce, and Cassie made me think of a mash of Buffy and Cordelia, or what I think Buffy would have been like if she wasn't a Slayer."

Willow nodded sadly in agreement. "There were lots of reminders of what we left behind, you know, in Sunnydale."

"I think Sam and Daniel like you, though."

"Only because you said I was good at languages." Willow shrugged. "Dr. Jackson… Daniel, he probably can fluently speak, read and write, like, ten ancient languages,"

"So, I think he was impressed. You have to admit, Willow, after only eighteen months, you've learned a heap of stuff."

"So have you. Eighteen months ago, we didn't even know about vampires or anything like that. We were just plain old Willow and Xander and Jesse. Now, you're all military guy and you can stake a vampire easy. All I've picked up is some languages."

"Er, Willow, I think you've forgotten the magic. You did attempt a pretty huge spell the other week and something definitely happened, if the glowy eyes and the lights were anything to go by," Xander argued.

"A load of good that did Buffy though," Willow said, tears rolling down her face. "She was relying on me to save Angel and I failed, and now she's gone and she could be trapped in some hell dimension with Angelus and they hate each other, so they'll die, and I was reading with Giles about it one day before we came here and time passes differently in hell dimensions than it does here," Willow tearfully babbled.

"Meaning what?"

"That a month our time could be like, a thousand years for Buffy. I know it doesn't matter for Angel, because he's immortal, but Buffy's human and it's not like we can use the Slayer line to see if she's still alive because the line doesn't go through Buffy anymore—it went through Kendra and now it goes through the new Slayer," Willow cried. Xander shifted closer and pulled Willow into a hug.

"Buffy's strong, she'll be okay. Maybe… maybe the spell worked and she and Angel ended up in a dimension where he can't lose his soul, and so they can… do whatever they like with no fear of repercussions."

"I don't think Acathla meant for his Hell dimensions to be a nice place to go to, somehow," Willow said into Xander's shoulder.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Xander admitted.

BtVS/SG-1

Willow and Xander took a longer route back to Jack's house before they went into the backyard and sat on the deck together, watching the clouds drift by. Willow remembered back when they were small and they would lay in her backyard and try to pick what the clouds looked like.

"Do you think the new slayer will be sent to Sunnydale?" Xander asked. Willow glanced around again.

"Yeah, I guess so," she quietly replied. "I mean, the Hellmouth is still active and the vamps still treat it as their hunting ground, and Giles never mentioned anywhere else in the world that had such high levels of demon activity as we did, so guess she'd go there. I wonder if Giles will still be the Watcher?"

"I guess it will depend on if she already has a Watcher or not."

"Probably not. I mean, Kendra had her own Watcher that had raised her from childhood and Buffy did have a Watcher before Giles, so I doubt it. I hope he stays in Sunnydale though, for Oz and Cordelia's sake and when Buffy comes back. She'll need Giles, with us gone and Angel… not there."

Xander nodded in agreement. "Buffy and Kendra always got along though, hopefully she and the new Slayer will become friends, and Cordy will be happy to be able to pull Buffy away from her geeky friends."

"Oz is still there," Willow pointed out.

"Yeah, but he's also in a band, so it cancels out all of his weirdness. He's cool by default," Xander replied. Willow smiled wistfully as she remembered how Oz's lips had felt against hers during their short-lived romance. She'd dated a cool guy and she'd enjoyed it.

"You never know, the new Slayer might be even geekier than us," Willow joked. Xander coughed.

"I take offense to that comment; no one could be geekier than us. We are the geekiest. The only thing that could make us any geekier would be if we started saying that there is life on other planets."

Both of them burst into gales of laughter at Xander's words before they sat in a comfortable silence.

"It's been ages since we laughed like that," Willow commented. Xander nodded. It felt like it had been years, not just weeks, since they'd been able to laugh, really laugh. Ever since the loss of their parents, there hadn't been any real reason to laugh. Now though, Xander found himself thinking that maybe there was a light at the end of the tunnel. He and Willow were together, in a home where it appeared they were both cared about much more than either of them ever had been before, in a town with little supernatural activity, and Angelus had been defeated. Sure, there was a question mark hanging above Buffy's head regarding where she was, and if she was coming back, or even if she could go back to Sunnydale and Giles had lost the love of his mid-life, but then, Xander hadn't trusted Jenny ever since it was revealed that she had been lying to them and knew all about Angel's curse, although he knew Willow felt differently about that compared to what he thought.

"Cassie asked me if we wanted to come shopping with her and Janet at some point," Willow said. Xander nodded. He'd gone shopping on a couple of occasions with Buffy and Cordelia and he'd survived, if only just. He was pretty sure he could handle Cassie.

"Sounds good, we've got to learn where all the good shops are."

"What, the comic book and DVD shops for you, and the computer and book shops for me."

"Exactly. Who cares about wearing fashionable clothes?" Xander smiled. Willow giggled, eyeing Xander's t-shirt, which was slightly sweaty from the work out. At least it wasn't one of Xander's bright Hawaiian shirts. As much as she had tried, Buffy had never been able to get Xander out of those and into something a little more… normal.

"I can't imagine Cassie agreeing with you," Willow pointed out, rolling onto her side and propping her head up with her hand.

Xander chuckled. "I can't imagine many teenaged girls would," he commented. "Present company excluded, of course."

"Gee, thanks. If I'm not a teenaged girl, what am I, a little green man from outer space or something?"

"No, you're Willow," Xander said with a smirk, which Willow instantly recognized as one that she had seen so many times on Xander's face and one she had also seen on Jack's face.

"Cute, Xander." She smiled before stretching her legs out and flexing her toes, feeling the sunlight being absorbed by her pale skin.

"I should go inside, I'm going to burn out here," she told him and Xander nodded in agreement, knowing how easily his best friend burnt in the summer sun. Almost as easily as a vampire, except without the actual physically bursting into flame. The pair got up and headed for the comparative shade provided inside the house and Xander slung his arm over Willow's shoulder.

"I think we're going to be okay," Xander said and Willow stopped, turning to face her best friend. Her green eyes rose, meeting his deep brown eyes, so filled with emotions. Six months ago being this close to Xander would have made Willow's heart race, but not now. She wasn't sure when it had happened, but at some point Willow was pretty sure she'd stopped crushing over Xander, as if she had fallen out of love with him in the romantic sense, and instead had fallen in love with him as the protective brother and best friend that he'd always been for her.

"How can you be so sure, Xander?" Willow asked, allowing her feelings to show on her face. Xander wiped the few tears that had escaped from Willow's eyes away with his thumb.

"Because we're together. Xander and Willow. Willow and Xander, we're two of the three musketeers. As long as we're together we can do anything."

Willow smiled and then hugged Xander tightly. In her heart, she knew he was right. They were going to be just fine.


	13. Chapter 13

As the weeks passed, Jack, Xander and Willow settled into a routine of sorts. Every morning, when Jack went into the SGC, more often than not, one or both of the teens would be still asleep. If they were both still asleep, he'd leave a note giving his expected time home. Then he'd leave the house, making sure he locked the door behind him in order to keep the teens safe. He'd spend the day at the SGC, performing his usual duties, going on missions, training recruits and running drills and exercises for the personnel, struggling through the mountain of paperwork that came along with being second in command at a military base as well as the leader of SG1, which brought its own mass of paperwork. At the end of the day, assuming he wasn't on a long-term mission, Jack would head home to find Willow at some stage of preparing dinner or, if he was running really late, a serve of dinner in the fridge waiting for him. Then, depending on the time and how tired he was, they'd spend some time together, just the three of them. Xander and Willow would tell him about their day and he'd give them a brief overview of his, keeping anything that was classified out of his retelling. Willow and Xander still seemed to enjoy the stories, however, and Jack wondered at the likelihood that one or possibly both of them could, upon turning eighteen and graduating from high school, join the military. The very idea scared him but at the same time made him think of how insanely proud he would be.

Willow and Xander's days weren't as busy as Jack's but they still managed to fill them. Every morning, when they were both up, they'd go for their run and workout before heading back to the house for showers and breakfast. After breakfast they would find ways to entertain themselves. Willow had read through the books Giles had left them with, being careful to keep them hidden so Jack didn't see them, while Xander practiced making stakes. Sometimes Cassie would come over and they'd catch the bus into the mall or head to the movies or just hang out together. Willow and Xander found themselves liking the other girl and they quickly become friends. In the late afternoons they would head home and Willow would cook dinner. Xander often tried to help but Willow more often than not shooed him out of the kitchen. Both of them however most looked forward to the end of the day when Jack was safely back home, feeling that they could relax knowing that their caregiver hadn't been hurt or, even worse, killed during the process of the day.

Of course, there were days that didn't fall into the routine, like when Jack had taken advantage of some down time and had taken Xander, Willow and Daniel up to the cabin in the woods. Teal'c had gone off-world to visit his family for a few days and Sam had gone to visit her brother. Xander had loved it, enjoying being taught how to fish by Jack, even though they didn't catch anything. Willow had enjoyed it too, finding the woods a very restful place to sit and contemplate what was happening, going into light meditation, just like Jenny had taught her to.

Then there were the few times that had seen Jack off world overnight. On those nights, as promised, Janet had gone by Jack's house on her way home from the base to pick up Xander and Willow, who would be waiting with packed bags, so they could sleep over. As fun as sleepovers always were, Xander and Willow didn't like it, both of them too worried about Jack to really enjoy themselves. Janet had picked up on it and thought it was quite touching that, after such a short period of time, they both cared enough about Jack to be worried about his welfare while he was off world (even if they weren't aware of the fact that he was no longer on Earth). Usually it was just overnight but on one occasion, Jack and SG1 had been away for three nights, two of which were on the mission, the third night was spent in the infirmary. Janet had been reluctant to leave Xander and Willow alone through the day, even though Cassie was with them, but she didn't really have a choice. It was as if she didn't trust them or Cassie to look after themselves for the day, it was just that she didn't want Xander or Willow to feel like they were being abandoned when they needed the reassurance that Jack was okay. Janet could understand where they were coming from, considering what had happened to their parents. Few teenagers would be able to be able to fully relax when they were separated for long periods of time from their guardian when they had, less than a month before, discovered the brutally murdered bodies of their respective parents

Jack, however, returned safely and the reunion had been quite touching. Janet hadn't had the opportunity to witness it but Cassie reported back to Janet and Sam that Xander and Willow had looked very happy and relieved that Jack was home safe. Jack had looked very happy and relieved that both of his teenaged charges were safe and they'd all gone off together back to Jack's house in his truck… leaving Janet to worry about the next time that SG1 would be away for a few days and the possibility of Jack not coming back from a mission, leaving the two teenagers in a perilous situation. She shuddered at the though of how much Willow and Xander would be affected if Jack was killed during a mission.

Most importantly, however, during those first few weeks, Jack, Willow and Xander built up their family unit. In the evenings they spent time together, talking, or watching some form of sports. Jack taught them both the ins and outs of ice hockey and promised to take them to a match at some point and to take them skating. Willow had cringed at the idea. The last time she and Xander had gone skating had been for Jessie's thirteenth birthday party. Neither her parents nor Xander's parents had had the time or the inclination to take them ice skating, even though Sunnydale did have its own rink and it was a bit too far from the middle of town to walk out there. When they were younger, Jesse's parents had taken them out sometimes but as they'd gotten older the teenagers had preferred going to hang out at the movies or just staying at someone's house and watching movies and playing video games. She imagined that it would take her awhile to get used to skating again.

Xander looked equally anxious about getting back out on the ice and Willow knew he was scared of making a fool of himself in front of his father. She knew Xander was worried about what would happen if he did something wrong or upset Jack. Would Jack be like Tony Harris and turn to violence in order to discipline Xander? Willow hoped not, remembering how on a few occasions Xander had stumbled over to her house after being beaten and kicked out, needing Willow to bandage him up and soothe his pain. Thankfully, her absentee parents hadn't ever witnessed the aftermath of Tony's attacks on Xander, so Willow had been free to watch over Xander as he slept in her bed, sometimes through troubling nightmares that would leave him sweating and crying out in his sleep.

Despite their fears, Willow and Xander felt themselves relaxing around Jack, their lives becoming slightly more normal away from the Hellmouth as they began to slowly move on and recover from the events of the last six months, from the first moment that Angelus had threatened Willow in the school hallway to the last moments when Willow had done the spell attempting to return Angel's soul to his demon-controlled body.

BtVS/SG-1

Willow and Xander had been living with Jack for a month when the phone rang. Willow looked up from the book she was reading. Daniel had offered to keep teaching her languages like Sumerian, Latin and a new one for Willow, Ancient Egyptian, the next time the team had down time, so she had decided to keep her mind sharp by doing as much reading as possible. Xander had gone out for a run, having decided that now that he didn't have a Slayer watching his back he needed to really work on his fitness… and running speed. Willow usually joined him, but hadn't felt like it that particular morning. Willow set her book aside, marking her page before crossing the living room to get to the phone.

"Hello? O'Neill residence," she said as she picked up the phone.

"Ah, Willow, it's Rupert Giles here."

"Giles, it's great to hear from you, not that it's been awhile, because we talked a few days ago. What's up, have you tracked down Buffy? How're things going on the Hellmouth? Are you, Oz and Cordy managing okay?"

"We're coping quite well, thank you Willow. Unfortunately Buffy has not been located but we've had several leads in the last few days. Joyce believes that Buffy is somewhere in this dimension, that she ran away after being forced to kill Angel."

"But… that would be good, wouldn't it? I mean, she wouldn't be in a hell dimension or anything, right?"

"We can hope, Willow. As it is though, the next Slayer has arrived in Sunnydale."

"Kendra's replacement?"

"Yes, a young woman by the name of Faith. She arrived last night. She is quite proficient at the arts."

"Does she have her own Watcher?" Willow asked.

"No, unfortunately Faith's watcher died just prior to her coming to Sunnydale. I shall be serving as her Watcher," Giles replied.

"Well, at least you still have a job," Willow offered.

"Well, yes, that is true. Anyway, what I rang to talk to you about. Have you attempted any magic since the soul restoration?"

"No, I'm kind of too scared to after what you said and Ms. Calender warned me about it and I haven't needed it, you know, with no monsters out there in Colorado Springs."

"That's good, Willow. I'm glad you've been listening."

"What? I always listen." Willow pouted.

"Yes, Willow, I'm sorry. I'm just not getting much sleep. Now, I've been in contact with a coven and they're willing to send some of their members over to teach you how to control and, if necessary, use your magic. I should have begun teaching you months ago when I saw you taking an interest in it but I was busy with Buffy and the whole Angelus and Jenny thing."

"I get it, it's okay. So, when do my lessons start?"

"They're going to arrive in about two weeks and will contact you regarding when and where you will meet. They both have family in the area, so they will travel into Colorado Springs to meet with you, probably once or twice a week, considering that you will be at your new school by the time they arrive."

"It sounds great."

"How are you and Xander settling in?"

"We're going great. Xander's out running at the moment. I usually go with him, but Daniel, one of Jack's friends, has offered to teach me some languages when they have down time, so I've been practicing."

"Is this Daniel good at languages?" Giles sounded interested. Willow smiled to herself

"Yeah, he's an archaeologist and linguist. His name is Dr. Daniel Jackson, have you heard of him?"

"Yes, I do believe I have. Prior to myself becoming Buffy's Watcher, I heard of him back in England. He had a theory about the pyramids that intrigued the Watcher's Council greatly. You're lucky to have the opportunity to study under such an educated man, Willow."

Giles sounded jealous and Willow beamed. "I know, I still miss you though, Giles and I know that Xander feels the same way. No matter how good Colorado Springs is, Sunnydale's always going to be home. You and Buffy are still the ones that started us off on this whole chapter of your lives. If it weren't for you two, both Xander and I would be dead, just another set of Sunnydale statistics."

"Willow, that was very touching. Thank you." Willow heard Giles clear his throat and knew that he would be furiously polishing his glasses, trying to ignore the tears building up in his eyes with his stoic British stiff upper lip.

"You're welcome, Giles," Willow replied, sitting don on the sofa, having brought the cordless phone with her so she could talk and read at the same time, just like she imagined Giles doing in the library of Sunnydale High.

"Are you and Xander ready for the new school year? It is a very important year for you both, after all."

"Yeah, Jack's enrolled us and we've got all our stuff all ready to go for next week. We've already got Cassie as a friend."

"How is that going? I know that you will both need to make new friends, other than one another."

"As much as I was prepared to not like her, we get along really well. She's smart and we'll be in a few classes together. She's really nice and we've got similar tastes in movies and music and stuff. Sometimes it feels as though Xander and I are betraying Buffy, because we have another friend who's a girl and sort of fits into our little friend triangle thing though."

"I'm sure Buffy won't mind. She wouldn't want you and Xander to be lonely after all. I'm glad that you and Xander have been able to find a friend so quickly. Cassie is the daughter of one of Jack's Air Force colleagues, yes?"

"Yes, that's the one. She's Janet's daughter. Janet's the chief medical officer at the base where Jack and his team are based. Cassie wants to graduate to become an Air Force medic as well. She's told me that she thinks that what Janet does is the coolest thing ever. Janet's the one who looks after us when Jack can't make it home."

"Ah, I see. I'm afraid I have to go now, Willow, but do pass my greetings onto Xander and we'll be in touch again soon."

"Okay, Giles, miss you."

"I miss you too, Willow. Goodbye."

"Bye, Giles." Willow hung up before she smiled happily to herself and continued on with her reading.


	14. Chapter 14

Willow sat beside Daniel at the dining room table of Jack's house, grinning eagerly as Daniel spread a couple of his more basic language books out. It had been a long time since he'd actually taught anyone before. Sure, he'd tried to explain things to Jack, the rest of SG-1, Hammond or other members of the SGC, but he knew that they lost track of what he was saying after just a few words. Willow, on the other hand, was an eager student, wanting to learn these languages because she wanted to.

Xander watched from the doorway, leaning against the doorframe, watching his best friend barely able to contain her excitement at being able to continue her learning of ancient and extinct languages.

"You want to join in?" Jack asked. Xander jumped violently, having not heard his father's approach.

"Don't do that!" Xander exclaimed. Jack had smirked at Xander's reaction, but something in his son's face stopped the smirk and he frowned instead.

"Sorry," he apologized, "you can, if you want. Daniel wouldn't mind. He'd probably be thrilled."

"I think I'll pass. Willow's the one who likes this. If Giles is to be believed, I haven't mastered common English yet, so I shouldn't really attempt other languages."

Jack couldn't contain his chuckle. "Yeah, I don't have that much of a head for languages. I know enough to get by, but not nearly as many of Daniel."

"I don't think there are many out there who would know that many," Xander commented, turning his back to Willow and the archaeologist and heading to the living room. Jack poked his head into the dining room.

"Xander and I are just going to be out here, okay?"

"Okay, Jack," Daniel called before he began to teach. Jack listened for a few moments, smiling when Willow began to repeat things in Sumerian back at Daniel. Satisfied that the pair would be kept amused for hours, he followed Xander into the living room, planning on some one on one bonding time with his son.

"You okay? I really didn't mean to frighten you earlier," Jack said, watching as Xander seemed to be lost in his thoughts.

Xander shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Just a little jumpy still. Don't think it's ever going to go away, that's all."

"Given time, it will settle down. Finding your parents like that must have been pretty freaky. I know if it were me I would be very jumpy. You and Willow are handling it very well."

Jack was being honest. It wasn't very often , only one or two times a week, sometimes three, that he woke up to Xander or Willow yelling or crying in their sleep and the other one always responding with soft and soothing words. Jack had known from early on that he wasn't needed to offer comfort or guidance. Willow and Xander seemed to be capable of looking out for one another without his involvement, as far as their nightmares went anyway.

Xander shrugged. "I'm glad that Willow has gotten along well with your work colleagues. The computer teacher back at Sunnydale High died not that long ago and she was Willow's idol. Willow got put in charge of the computer lessons at our school, even the senior classes, even though she was devastated by Jenny… I mean, Miss Calendar dying."

"What about you… I know languages aren't really your thing, you've told me that, and you've said that Willow was the computer person in your group. There must have been something that you were the best at?"

Xander paused. "Does making everyone smile, even when things are tough, count? Because I did that."

Jack smiled. "Absolutely. In every situation you need to have someone who can see the funny side to life. When I do not have to be the big bad Colonel, that's my job, usually. We have to stick together."

Xander smiled at that. "Sounds like a good idea, Colonel," he said. Jack chuckled.

"Of course it was. When have I ever had a bad idea?' Jack spoke with his voice slightly raised, so Daniel would be able to hear in the next room. Sure enough, there was a response.

"Do you REALLY want me to answer that question, Jack?" Daniel called back. Jack smiled as he heard Willow giggling and Xander began to laugh beside him. His two teenaged charges were beginning to settle down and relax from the trauma they'd been through at last. Now they would be able to slowly begin rebuilding their lives and moving on, although Jack knew they would forever carry the scars of the last few months deep in their own psyches.

BtVS/SG-1

The school year started, and Willow and Xander presented themselves to the office on their first day, accompanied by Jack. They had already gone through all the enrollment details, so it was simply a matter of picking up the last few forms and pieces of information. Then the school bell rang and Cassie approached the group. Jack was thankful that Xander and Willow's first class at Colorado Springs High School was one that they shared with Cassie.

"You two be good, okay? I really don't want to get a phone call telling me that you've been in trouble on your first day. Remember which bus you have to take home and you both have your keys to get into the house and your phones?" he asked them. Willow inched closer to Xander, who put his arm around her shoulder, sensing her insecurity.

Jack had gone and bought them both mobile phones, for safety purposes. He'd programmed his work phone number, his mobile phone number, as well as the numbers for Sam, Daniel, Janet and Hammond's office phones into Willow and Xander's, just in case he couldn't answer for whatever reason. Willow and Xander had accepted the phones,\ and had both then programmed each other's new number, their new home number, as well as the numbers that would get them in contact with Giles, Joyce, Cordelia and Oz.

Xander hiked his bag up higher on his shoulder and nodded in response to Jacks question and Willow smiled.

"You'll be fine," Jack said and Cassie wasn't overly sure who he was trying to convince, Xander and Willow or himself.

"I'll look after them, Jack," she offered, and Jack nodded at her.

"Thanks, Cassie. I appreciate it. I'll see you two tonight when I get back from work."

"See you, Jack." Xander nodded.

"Bye," Willow added from where she stood. Jack smiled reassuringly at them before he turned and hurried back to his car, knowing that they were both well and truly old enough to get themselves to class. They were in their senior year of high school, after all.

Jack remembered the day when he and Sara had sent Charlie off to school on his first day. Charlie had been so excited and Sara had been so nervous. He remembered that she'd cried the whole way home in the car. Charlie had been unaffected by nervousness, quickly finding some of his friends from preschool and walking into the classroom together. Charlie had, at the last moment as he crossed the threshold into the classroom, looked over his shoulder at Jack and Sara and just smiled at them. In that moment, they'd both known that Charlie was going to be fine and he had been. Jack hoped that Xander and Willow would settle into their new school just as quickly.

Jack drove out to the mountain, having informed Hammond that he was going to be a little late because he was dropping Xander and Willow off on their first day of school and Hammond had nodded approvingly. Jack and the rest of SG-1 put in so much time and effort into their work, Hammond wasn't going to deny Jack the opportunity to drop his kids off on their first day of a new school, hoping that Xander and Willow would be safe there.

BtVS/SG1

Xander and Willow found themselves, much to their surprise, settling into their new school well. Willow was enjoying her classes and Xander had begun to make a few friends among the other boys within their year level, although he spent the majority of his time with Willow and Cassie.

Outside of school, Willow's lessons with Daniel were going well and after every one, she would tell Xander all about what she had learnt. The witches from the coven that Giles had asked to tutor Willow had been in contact with Willow, having been delayed in their arrival in Colorado Springs, but Willow was set up to have two lessons per week initially, with more or less depending on her progress. Both Willow and Xander had also been keeping up with their training, going for runs to the park, and going over obstacle courses. Often they got off the school bus going home a few stops away from the house and used that as their run, and Xander had found a map of Colorado Springs and was looking into one day in the not too distant future having them both run home from school as a training exercise.

In between school, homework and everything that they were doing in their spare time, Xander and Willow were kept busy but they always tried to spend as much time as they could with Jack. It was a novelty for them both to have a father figure in their lives that actually seemed to care about them. Giles had cared but the way that Jack asked them both about their days and took a keen interest in every aspect of their lives, while at the same time trying to get to know them better, was different from the way the Englishman had gone about looking out for them. The fact that Jack actually was Xander's father made a difference too but it had surprised both of the teenagers how much they both cared about the man as well. Xander had begun to learn about sports like ice hockey and was finding that he was quite enjoying both the sports and spending time with a father who didn't drink in excess and who wasn't abusive, while Willow was constantly trying to earn his approval and affection and enjoying finally having a parental figure who was there to pay attention to her.

Xander and Willow had been at their new school for almost four weeks. Jack was away on a week-long mission, so they had all of their things at Janet's house and walked to and from school with Cassie, since Cassie lived much closer to school than them. It wasn't the first time that they'd stayed with Janet since they'd started at their new school but it was the longest time that Jack had been away for since they'd met him.

They were walking home from school with Cassie on the third day of Jack being away. Cassie was walking a bit ahead of them with one of they guys from Willow's Lit class. Cassie liked him and Willow suspected that it wouldn't be long before they were dating (from her limited knowledge of dating anyway,) and so she and Xander had lagged behind a little to give the others some privacy.

Cassie and the boy, whose name was Jay, disappeared around the corner but neither of the Scoobies were fussed. Both of them knew the way back to Janet's place, so it didn't matter that they'd lost sight of Cassie.

Neither of them noticed the dark van parked in a side street they crossed, too focused on the in-depth discussion they were having about Sunnydale. Nor did they notice the way the van's engine started and it slowly crept forward, turning around the corner of the side street and approaching them from behind.

Xander whipped around as he heard the van pull over alongside them and three men in black suits, sunglasses and gloves stepped out of the back of the vehicle. Through the tint Xander could faintly see another man sitting in the driver's seat.

"Hey, kid, relax, we work with your dad," one of the men said. Willow tensed in response and Xander gripped her hand, shifting so he was more in front of her.

"Really? What's the password?" he asked defensively.

The man snorted. "Look, kid, O'Neill's in trouble, you've got to come with us… now."

"We ain't going anywhere with someone who doesn't have the password," Xander said. "Besides, how did you know we were O'Neill's kids?"

The man cocked his head. "We've got our ways and means. You look too much like him to be anyone else's and the description we were given was pretty accurate."

"Say the password or we're leaving."

"Get them."

Xander and Willow bolted. 'Get them' was definitely not the phrase that Jack had told them during their first week of living with him. They could hear the men's feet pounding behind them as they ran down the pavement.

"Cassie…RUN!" Xander screamed as loud as he could to alert Cassie that they were in trouble, hoping madly that she was still within earshot.

Xander yelled when he felt strong arms grab him around the middle in a tackle, throwing him hard into the concrete path. He heard Willow scream as she went down beside him. They were quickly pinned down by agents and Xander winced as he felt handcuffs being tightened around his wrists. He turned his head, looking over his shoulder at the men. The one who wasn't pinning them down was preparing what looked suspiciously like a pair of syringes. Xander began to struggle and could hear Willow's muffled pleading.

"No, no, get off, no, let us go, please,"

"Sweet dreams, princess," the standing man sneered before plunging the syringe into the back of Willow's exposed neck. She immediately went disturbingly limp. Xander's struggled renewed.

"You too, big boy." The man smirked as he approached Xander. Xander winced as he felt the sharp sting as the needle was shoved into his neck, before the world faded to black.

**A.N. Uh oh, what's going to happen now…? Xander and Willow are in huge trouble…but who is putting the life of the teenagers in danger. Is it something from their past in Sunnydale, or is it something to do with Jack's work. **

**Thanks for your reviews, they have been vey encouraging and supportive of this story. Thanks also go to my Beta Reader for editing this for me. I own all errors.**

**R.W. **


	15. Chapter 15

Jack strode through the Stargate and down the ramp into the SGC, the rest of SG-1 at his heels. Hammond had ordered them to return to the base early during their last radio check in, so they'd packed up their camp and hiked back to the Stargate as quickly as they could. Multiple scenarios were flashing through his head, just like they always did when something unexpected like this happened, and now a disturbing number of those involved Xander and Willow getting hurt or dying, and him being called back only to find that one or both of them were dead.

Hammond strode up to meet the group, his face clear of expression. This was serious and Jack was instantly on guard.

"Welcome Back, SG-1. Head to the infirmary for post mission checks, then report immediately to my office."

"Yes, sir," Jack said before leading his team off. Worryingly, Janet wasn't in the infirmary, even though it was her usual time to be on duty, and none of the nurses would answer the team's queries of where she was. Instead they simply did their usual tasks, cleared the entire team of any sign of being compromised, and released them. SG-1 had practically raced up to Hammond's office. Hammond beckoned them inside when the door opened to reveal them. Jack instantly spotted Janet sitting at the table with a disheveled-looking Cassie next to her.

"What's going on?" Jack asked. Hammond frowned and gestured for the team to sit down at the long table. Jack and Sam sat down next to one another, opposite from Janet and Cassie, while Daniel and Teal'c sat beside the doctor and the teenager.

"Cassie, would you like to tell the story or would you like me to?" Hammond asked. Cassie looked at Jack, her eyes filled with tears.

"I'll do it."

"It's okay, Cassie, no one blames you." Janet said, shooting a piercing look at each member of SG-1, warning them that none of them better blame her daughter for what was about to be revealed. Jack felt his gut clench tightly when Janet's gaze lingered on him and seemed to shift to one of pity. He had a hunch he knew where this was going.

"We… we were walking home from school. Me, Wills, and Xan. I was walking ahead of them with Jay, he's a guy from my school, and I've got a few classes with him. Anyway, they were walking a bit behind us but I didn't realize how far behind they were. We were just walking when I heard Xander scream at me to run. Jay had gone inside his house already, so I backtracked and hid in a garden. There were three guys, sunglasses, black suits, and a black van with another guy driving. Willow and Xander were on the ground; they were pinned down by these guys, face-down, and were being handcuffed. Then the one who wasn't pinning them down had two needles and he injected them both with this stuff, I don't know what it was… it was clear. Then they picked up them both and Xander and Willow were all floppy… either unconscious or sleeping, I couldn't tell, and put them in the back of the van before they all sped off. I went to the spot where they were to see if there was anything that they'd dropped. They dropped their schoolbags and it looked like they'd tried to run away… I ran back home and called Mom and she sent out people to investigate." Cassie burst into tears. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to leave them alone, I thought they were closer, and there was blood on the pavement, but I don't know whose, and I was scared. I'm so sorry."

Jack shook his head. "It wasn't your fault, Cass," was all he managed to say before he realized what had been said. His kids… some bastards had kidnapped his kids. There had been blood on the pavement, one or both of them was injured. Cass didn't report hearing a shotgun but a silencer could have been used. It might not have been the needle that had made them go limp. Maybe they were dead… or being tortured for information about the SGC. He was dimly aware of Sam's hand on his shoulder but he didn't respond… couldn't respond. He knew he had enemies… none of whom would accept the fact that Xander and Willow knew nothing about the SGC. Jack had a feeling that Xander wouldn't take well to being held captive and would mouth off. He was too much like Jack himself, after all, and would try to draw their capturer's attention to keep them away from Willow.

"Jack?" Jack heard Sam's soft voice and buried his head in his hands, running his fingers through his hair.

"What is being done to reclaim Colonel O'Neill's children?" Teal'c asked.

"We've got guys scouring the area, asking if anyone saw anything… anyone acting suspicious. Cassie got a look at the numberplate of the van and we're running it. We've hit a couple of roadblocks though."

"Roadblocks?"

"Someone doesn't want us to track this van down; we've hit a couple of firewalls blocking our tracing of the numberplate. The techs are getting through them but it's taking time."

"NID, sir?" Sam asked, voicing Jack's question. Hammond frowned and nodded.

"It looks likely, we don't know why. There's no indication through official transcripts that they even know about Xander and Willow, let alone are interested in them."

Jack mentally cursed, his loathing of the NID increasing.

"How long… how long has it been?" Jack asked.

"Five hours, we alerted you as soon as we could."

"I don't get it, why would the NID go after Willow and Xander? I mean, they're just ordinary kids. They don't know anything about the Stargate, they don't even suspect anything that's going on. I've been making sure that the things I've been showing Willow have nothing to do with the SGC and heaps of other personnel here have kids that don't know about it. It's not like we've been working on anything particularly bad at the moment that they would want to interfere with. It's been pretty quiet recently," Daniel said. Teal'c nodded.

"Daniel Jackson is correct."

A soft knocking at the door interrupted the conversation and Hammond called for whoever it was to enter. Jack didn't pay attention, too lost in his own turbulent thoughts. He couldn't help but remember how Charlie had looked, coated in his own blood, and wonder if he was going to see Xander… little Alexander in a similar condition, his brown eyes blank and unseeing. He remembered the first time he'd held Xander in his arms, cooing softly at his little boy, smiling at the tufts of dark hair that covered the little boys head thickly. Of the pair, Alex had been the first one Jack had bathed by himself and the first one whose diaper Jack had changed without a nurse at his side. Predictably, it had been a pretty nasty one, but Jack hadn't cared. He'd just looked at the little boy, lying on the change mat, looking up at him, studying every detail of his face. Charlie had been his firstborn but Jack had loved both of his little boys equally. Even after he and Jess had separated and Alexander had been taken away from him, after the last final joke about being glad that Charlie and Alexander weren't identical, so they couldn't pull a parent trap on him and Jess, he'd missed his little boy, wondering what sort of person he was growing up into, whether he liked sports like Charlie or was he clever… what was his favorite color… was he walking yet… and talking? Did he have friends? When Charlie had died, Jack had wondered if Alexander had survived his own childhood or if he too had been killed by the foolishness of his father. When more time had passed and Jack had begun to slowly recover from the loss of Charlie, he'd continued to wonder about his young son's life.

And now? Now it could be all over.

Hammond cleared his throat and Jack forced himself to meet his commanding officer's eyes. He had a bunch of papers, obviously having been handed to him by the scientist from Janet's lab that was leaving the room. Hammond cast his eyes over the paperwork and passed them to Janet.

"The blood on the pavement, some of it is definitely Xander's, but there were others as well. They've concluded that one of them is Willow and that another individual was injured. They're running a search to identify who that individual might be."

"One of them got one of the bad guys," Sam surmised. Jack didn't know which one of his kids it would have been, so he said nothing.

"There… There's been a further development. The NID have contacted us. They say there's been a breach at Area 51. A certain… artifact was activated during this breach and that video surveillance indicates that various individuals passed through this artifact into the room, then left, taking a few other individuals with them."

"A Stargate," Janet said simply and Hammond sighed.

"Or something with similar transportation properties. Our techs have studied the surveillance tapes and, thankfully, everyone that went through the gate into Area 51 left Area 51. Among those who entered Area 51 were several Jaffa."

"Goa'uld," Jack said softly, dread creeping into his chest. From her seat Cassie whimpered and Janet rubbed her back soothingly.

"What does this have to do with Xander and Willow?" Daniel asked.

"I need to have one of you confirm it but from the security camera, it appears that there were two captives that changed hands. They both appeared to be unconscious and had sacks over their heads, but the clothes they were wearing match the ones Cassie described to us as being what Xander and Willow were wearing."

"I guess they're going to find everything out a bit sooner than we originally thought," Sam said softly, an attempt at humor. Cassie was the only one who smiled

"Those snakes have my son and daughter. Do we know who they were following, sir?"

Hammond shook his head. "No, the video isn't detailed enough to make out what was said between the two groups. There is more. The men who took Xander and Willow to Area 51 were NID agents. They were caught on the way out. The NID have agreed to send them to us for questioning."

Jack cracked his knuckles at the very idea of getting his hands of the ones who put Xander and Willow in danger. Teal'c too looked ready to back Jack up.

"You do realize, Jack, that I'm not going to be able to let you go anywhere near them. You're too personally involved."

"Yes, sir," Jack sighed.

Hammond sighed and looked at his assembled colleagues. They all looked devastated. Hammond shuddered to think what would happen if one… or both of Jack's teenagers were taken as hosts and the Colonel was forced to kill them in order to protect himself or someone else at some point in the future. It would destroy Jack, the already mentally scarred man struggling with his son's death, would be unable to cope with the consequences of the Goa'uld taking Xander and Willow as hosts.

Hell, Jack already looked shattered. Hammond could only guess at what his friend was thinking. George knew that he would never wish this on his worst enemy… not for anything.

BtVS/SG-1

Jack felt like he'd spent hours in Hammond's office, processing the news over and over again, but really had been only half an hour. Xander and Willow were off world, held God knew where by some snake bastard, and he had no idea where he could find them. He'd heard Hammond tell Sam that they were trying to get into the video feed from Area 51, so they could see if it was obvious where the Jaffa had come from… or more importantly, where they'd gone to with Xander and Willow. There was little else they could do.

Jack wanted to hit something, preferably the face of the NID bastard whose fault it was that his teenagers were in this situation.

He didn't think it would go down overly well with Hammond, but Jack O'Neill was past caring. He just wanted Xander and Willow back, safe and unharmed.


	16. Chapter 16

Xander groaned as he returned to awareness. His head throbbed painfully and whatever he was lying on… some form of cold metal, was very unpleasant to lie on. His hands were tied behind his back and the ache in his shoulders seemed to indicate that they'd been like that for awhile. Keeping his eyes shut and feigning his continued unconsciousness, Xander forced his sluggish mind to work. The last thing he remembered was walking back towards Cassie's house with Willow after school.

The memories came back in bits and pieces. The van, the men, he and Willow running and being tackled from behind, the sting of the rough pavement, being injected with something, darkness.

Obviously they'd been knocked out and had apparently been kidnapped. Keeping quiet, Xander cracked his eyes open, squinting against the light. He was lying on the ground of some form of cell. Willow lay beside him, her hands tied behind her back, her red hair falling across her face, obscuring his view of her. Xander hoped she was just sleeping off whatever drug it was that they had been injected with.

Xander wasn't a genius like Willow but he was smart enough to know that this wasn't good, especially considering their past experiences with the supernatural in Sunnydale. Xander knew that Giles feared that the two teenagers had earned a reputation in the supernatural world as being allies of the Slayer and had therefore become targets to those who wanted to hurt Buffy, and it looked like the threat had eventuated. Xander wondered what was going through Jack's head. He hoped that Cassie had escaped and he was pretty sure Jack would be aware of the kidnapping by now. Having already lost one child, Xander imagined that Jack would be very unhappy to learn that he and Willow were missing.

Taking a risk, Xander shifted slightly, looking towards the doorway to the cell. Most of the door was solid metal but there was a clear window in the top half of the door that allowed him to see out. He could see two men, who Xander presumed to be guards of some description. They both looked similar to Murray, although they were wearing some sort of weird armor. Xander flinched, knowing that it was likely that his father's friend had betrayed them… intentionally or not.

Shifting slightly, Xander continued to lay quietly, knowing that he should try and conserve his strength, just in case he saw an opportunity to try and escape from the prison. Of course, he wouldn't be able to do anything until Willow woke up and was able to walk. There was no way Xander would be able to carry her out of wherever it was they were. He wasn't a Slayer after all.

Xander felt his heart constrict when he thought of Buffy. Because they'd been staying at Cassie's, he and Willow had told Giles that it would be awhile before they were able to call, so it was unlikely that the Watcher would think that anything was amiss, unless Jack rang to inform him of the situation. Buffy was still gone anyway… still at wherever it was that she'd disappeared to after the Angelus affair, so Giles would have to be the one who came to their rescue, along with Cordelia and Oz.

Xander really hoped that the demons outside the cell really weren't as tough as they looked

BtVS/SG:1

Jack found himself in his office, having been ordered from Hammond's office. Sam sat quietly opposite him, obviously not knowing what to say. Daniel and Teal'c stood near the door. Teal'c face was expressionless but Daniel was chewing his lip nervously, as if he expected Jack to explode in anger. Jack was surprised he'd been so composed as well. He could feel his rage burning in his gut but it had yet to erupt. Jack forced himself to keep that from happening. His team weren't responsible for what had happened to Xander and Willow. The NID was, as well as the Goa'ulds who had taken the pair.

"Sir… Is there anything I can get for you?" Sam offered and Jack shook his head, wishing that he had a recent photo of the pair in his office. He resolved to arrange for one when they came back. He suddenly thought of the photo on his phone and he reached into his pocket, pulling it out and opening up the photo. He gazed at the screen, looking at Xander and Willow, lying so helplessly, so innocently together, completely oblivious to the danger that was just about to crash into their lives, forever disturbing their perspective on the night sky. No longer would the twinkling stars far above be peaceful and pretty, each star… each planet that they could not see… but knew existed was a potential haven for the monsters that had taken them.

Jack wondered if they were conscious and if they were, how frightened they would be. He imagined Xander standing protectively in front of Willow, his voice straining to keep the fear from showing. Willow's green eyes would be wide and possibly tear-filled, although Jack wondered if the fierce determination he had seen glimpses of in Willow's gaze when he knew she was thinking of Sunnydale had made an appearance. He could imagine Willow, in all her red-haired glory, storming up to whichever Goa'uld had taken them and giving them a piece of her mind. Jack chuckled softly to himself at the mental picture before sobering as he thought of the likely repercussions for Willow would be if she did. He didn't want her to be killed… or tortured. Jack mentally prayed that both teenagers did as they were told and just kept their mouths shut.

Who was he kidding? Xander was far too much like him to take anything a Goa'uld said lying down.

BtVS/SG:1

Sam watched as Jack looked at his phone. From where she was sitting she could tell that he was looking at the photo of Xander and Willow huddled up in bed together. She could tell that Jack was struggling to contain his anger, directed at those responsible for taking Xander and Willow away from him. It was amazing how quickly Xander and Willow had wormed their way into Jack's heart and made themselves at home but Sam wasn't surprised in the slightest. Jack, still so torn after losing Charlie, had leapt at the second chance to have a family. Now, to have Xander and Willow torn away from the safety of their own sheltered lives and threatened by the very aliens that Jack loathed more than anything else, it was understandable that Jack was struggling to contain his anger.

Sam remembered what it had been like when she'd been sixteen. She knew the world was an unfriendly place and she'd already been jaded by the death of her mother. Her brother had just gone off to college as well at that point of time and things had been tense between her and her father, but Sam knew that she wouldn't have been able to cope with being kidnapped like Willow and Xander had. She wondered what the pair were going through, if they were okay and if they had realized that they weren't on Earth anymore, but rather somewhere unknown being held captive by aliens.

One thing was sure, Jack was going to have to do a lot of explain when Xander and Willow came back home. When, not if, because Sam knew just from the look of determination written across Jack's face that her commanding officer wasn't going to rest until he got his kids back.

BtVS/SG:1

Sam wasn't the only one thinking about Xander and Willow. Daniel watched on sadly as he observed Jack trying to deal with Willow and Xander's kidnapping. For him it brought back unwelcome memories of Sha're and how he'd lost her. Daniel felt his heart clench painfully at the thought of Willow and Xander being made into Goa'uld. It would destroy Jack if he had to kill the two teenagers and Daniel knew that he wouldn't be able to strike the killing blow. In the time that had passed since they had first met Willow and Xander had grown on him greatly. Willow was a good student, one of the best Daniel had ever had the pleasure of teaching, and he had hoped she would go far with her studies, perhaps one day working in the SGC as a linguistics expert or as a translator for one of the off-world teams. Xander, on the other hand, was exactly like a teenaged Jack would have been like. Caring, loyal, friendly, a jokester, and genuinely well liked by everyone he met. The affection they had for one another was touching to witness. They treated each other like brother and sister. From what Jack had said they were brother and sister in every way, save by blood. They'd known each other since kindergarten; they'd been there for each other throughout everything their lives had thrown at them, although Daniel didn't know how difficult their younger years had been. From what Jack had said, the last few months for them had been traumatic enough without anything else happening before that.

After everything the pair of teenagers had gone through in the past few months, being kidnapped by some system lord with illusions of grandeur was the last thing they needed. Jack had reported that they'd only just started getting through the night without nightmares, but Daniel was certain that the nights would once again be disturbed at the O'Neill house, and this time there would be a far darker element to the nightmares of its inhabitants…

And Daniel wasn't just thinking of the kids. He knew from off-world missions that Jack often had nightmares about Charlie's death. Even if Xander and Willow made it back to Earth reasonably unscathed, Daniel doubted that Jack would ever be able to let go of the fact that he could have easily lost both teenagers, both of his second chances at parenthood (even though that logically made no sense) barely two months after the pair stepped into his life.

BtVS/SG:1

Teal'c watched on as his friend struggled to deal with the kidnapping of his young children. Teal'c had no idea what Jack must be feeling at that moment but he could judge from the look of anguish upon the Air Force Colonel's face that he was devastated. Sam and Daniel Jackson were both looking on as Jack looked at the photographic images of the pair and Teal'c remembered the pair of teenagers that he had known for such a brief period. It had surprised him how similar they both were to Cassie Frasier, the only other teenager that Teal'c had had any real contact with and yet being so very different from her. It made him feel sad, although his grief was not outwardly shown upon his face. He knew that in the days, weeks, months and years to follow, Jack and the rest of SG:1 would need Teal'c's support in order to overcome the tragedy that had befallen the young pair and Teal'c felt that he would not be able to fulfil this duty if he allowed his own emotions regarding the demise of the pair to overcome him.

While it was true that it had not… and probably would never be… confirmed that the exact fate of Alexander and Willow was their untimely death, either through being taken as a host, torture, or simply being murdered by their captors, there was little doubt in Teal'c's mind that the pair would not be coming back to earth, not alive at least. He knew, from his prior experience, that two prisoners such as the two Tau'ri youth would not be allowed to survive their captivity. Teal'c had observed that both of the teenagers carried themselves with an air that indicated they had some fighting experience, neither of them were well equipped enough physically to stand a chance at being able to overcome their captives and escape.

And then, of course, there was the problem of neither of them knowing what a Stargate was and how they might be able to make contact with Earth or one of its allies, so that they might be able to return.

As painful as it was for Teal'c to admit, the likable pair stood little chance of survival, if they had not been killed already.

Of course, one thing Teal'c had learned since joining the SGC was to expect the unexpected.

BtVS/SG:1

Willow slowly came back to awareness, wincing as she felt the throbbing of her head and neck. She moved slightly, frowning as she felt the hard, metal surface on which she was laying. This certainly wasn't her nice comfortable bed. It wasn't even the spare bed at Cassie's house that she slept on. It wasn't even a bed at all.

Willow furrowed her brows, trying to make sense of the situation. It came seeping back, like floodwaters rising against a levy wall. The van that had approached herself and Xander, Xander calling for Cassie to run, the men, and her and Xander's failed escape attempt. Willow felt her gut clench before she forced herself to calm down and think rationally. She mentally took a catalogue of her injuries. Other than her head and her neck and being a little sore all over, she was uninjured, although her wrists and ankles were both tightly bound together. She lay still, keeping her eyes shut, faking being asleep, unsure of who was around. She couldn't hear anything, except for a distant humming she assumed was coming from elsewhere in the building she was being held in.

Deciding to take a risk, Willow cracked her eyes open, exhaling deeply when she spotted Xander's body lying beside her. His eyes were closed but his chest was rising and falling evenly, so Willow guessed he was still alive. While it was bad that they'd both been captured, Willow was very relieved that they were being held together. The idea of being held captive by herself was scary, especially given the demons and other bad guys that were likely to capture herself and Xander.

Willow frowned and looked around the cell they were being held in. It was basically an oversized metal box with a door on one side that had a little window for their captors to look in at them. She'd never seen anything like this in Sunnydale, which was both a worrying and at the same time comforting thought to have. They'd been attacked in broad daylight, so their assailants obviously were not vampires or if they were, then they were using human goons to do their kidnapping.

Willow was willing to accept anything, after what she'd seen back in Sunnydale, but it seemed unlikely that a vampire would use humans like that. It was, however, possible for another variety of demon to potentially have been involved in their kidnapping, one capable of taking or possessing a human form and without an aversion to sunlight.

Willow thought back on the research books and websites she'd consulted since starting to help with research and began to make a mental list of species their captors might be.

As the list of demons began to grown, Willow came to the conclusion that there were way too many types of shape-shifting demons out there.

Although, when the cell door was roughly opened, waking Xander and drawing Willow from her musing as they gazed up at the tall, bald-headed man with the strange tattoo on his forehead, Willow found herself discounting the list entirely. Something about these guys was decidedly un-Hellmouthy, although Willow was certain that they weren't ordinary humans either.

Willow glanced at Xander's face and saw his gaze focused on her own face. She could see the concern, worry, and the faint touch of fear in his eyes that she knew was being shown in hers.

They were in a lot of trouble.


	17. Chapter 17

General Hammond watched SG:1 clatter into his office. Sam looked slightly apologetic at the lack of professionalism the team was showing, since Jack understandably didn't give a damn and Daniel wasn't military enough to care.

"What's going on?" Sam asked.

"Walter was able to clear up the visual feed on the device that Willow and Xander were taken through. He was able to clear the feed enough to determine the gate address of where they went."

"We are to mount a rescue mission?" Teal'c asked.

Hammond nodded. "SG:2 and SG:10 will be accompanying you through the Stargate. You leave at 1500 hours."

Jack nodded and the team left the office in order to prepare. Hammond watched their retreating backs. He hoped to God that they would succeed in rescuing Xander and Willow or it would appear that Xander and Willow had died almost immediately upon their arrival. It would destroy Jack O'Neill if they found the bodies of Xander and Willow, having only been killed recently or worse, for them to actually witness the deaths of the two teenagers. Of course, finding them healthy and safe would be the best outcome SG1 could hope for but realistically, when did the best outcome possible happen for the SGC, and SG:1 in particular?

BtVS/SG:1

Willow lay in silence, having rolled over as far as her bonds would allow so she was facing Xander. Xander was conscious and looking at her, although they both were not game enough to try and talk. They could hear the sounds of their guards moving around just outside the door. The cell door remained closed, having remained that way since their visitor earlier, who had simply looked down at them, snorted in disgust, and put a platter of what Willow guessed was food on the floor, before stalking out and slamming the door shut with a deafening bang. Neither of them had been game to touch the food. Instead, they just watched one another, trying to communicate through their eyes and small hand gestures. Both of them were trying to act calm and not scared, although inside they were both terrified.

Mentally Willow was punishing herself for not being alert. She knew Xander was, too. Just because it was daylight didn't mean that they were safe from the supernatural. Many demons were quite comfortable in the sunlight. Neither she nor Xander had managed to get a punch in and they both knew that Buffy would have been disappointed.

Giles and Buffy had spent time and energy helping Xander and Willow train, so that they would be less reliant upon Buffy during patrols. It became even more important when Angelus had returned and begun to target the members of Buffy's inner circle, not just the Slayer herself. Now, the first time that she and Xander really needed to look out for themselves, they'd gone down without much of a fight.

Xander was thinking much along the same line. He knew that at one point during his struggles, after he had been thrown down on the pavement, he'd somehow managed to get his elbow loose and had flung it back, connecting with something, but the worst damage his captor could have sustained was a broken nose… assuming that they were anatomically the same as humans. They sure had appeared to be ordinary humans but the little bit of the guards he could see indicated that they were larger than the average human. In fact, they reminded Xander unnervingly of Jack's friend Teal'c.

Xander looked over at Willow, concern etched on his features. Her eyes were distant, obviously a million miles away. There was a bloody gash on her cheek from where she'd been thrown down and Xander suspected that he had a few similar gashes on his face and on his knees from where he had been attacked. Otherwise, they both seemed to be unharmed thus far.

Xander wasn't overly optimistic of their chances of remaining that way. Given his own past experience of being captive in addition to the soldier possession from last Halloween and the knowledge Giles had passed on, Xander knew that captives were rarely let go without injury. Not for the first time Xander looked around, hoping to find an escape route or some form of weakness that he and Willow could exploit and use to get away.

Of course, once they had escaped, there was the small matter of knowing how to get back home. It would be alright if they'd been taken back to Sunnydale for whatever reason, since they would be able to go back to Giles or Joyce and then organize from there how to get back to Colorado Springs. What worried Xander was the incredibly high possibility of them being taken somewhere else. Neither he nor Willow were very familiar with the local area quite yet, so if they were trapped in a local warehouse and managed to escape, they'd be completely stuck.

Xander shuddered as he through about the possibility of he and Willow having been taken somewhere other the Colorado Springs or Sunnydale. If it were true… well, they would be in deep trouble. Xander found himself mentally going through his memories from the soldier possession to see what he should do, but since he was unarmed and it was highly likely their guards were armed and physically stronger than the two teenagers, it seemed to be a good idea to keep their heads down and wait for the situation to change in their favor.

Xander just hoped that it would do so soon.

Willow had dragged her thoughts from Buffy and instead focused on Jack. According to her watch, they'd been missing for almost 24 hours now. She was sure Jack would have been contacted by now, even though he was on some sort of mission. Jack had reassured her one time when he was leaving to go on a mission that he would always be contactable, even when he was on missions. He wouldn't be able to talk to them directly but messages could be passed on when his team called in to report on their status.

Willow wondered how he was taking the news. She remembered how little her parents had cared when she'd been put into a coma that day at the library. Jack was similarly career-focused, you had to be to be in the military, so she was sure that he would be finishing his mission before bothering with Xander and Willow's disappearance, especially since Willow wasn't even really his. She could imagine Jack getting worried abut Xander but not about her. She was just Xander's friend whom Jack had kindly taken in to ease the transition from Sunnydale to Colorado Springs for Xander, nothing more.

Willow frowned as she thought of Daniel and Sam, and Janet, and even Murray (even though she knew that Xander was convinced that the man had something to do with their kidnapping). They had all been so kind to her and Xander ever since their arrival, or even before that, considering Sam had gone out and bought the bed frames for them. Daniel had been such a great teacher, even better than Giles (except that wasn't a fair judgment, considering that Giles had other things to do, like stopping the end of the world and training Buffy). Janet had been so kind, letting them stay with her while Jack was away. She kind of reminded Willow of her own mother in appearance but unlike Sheila Rosenberg Janet obviously gave a damn about the children in her care. Every morning she packed them a lunch and every evening when she came back home, despite being tired, she always took the time to sit and talk with the three teenagers. Willow couldn't help but feel a tad jealous of Cassie for having such a devoted mother. It was the same jealousy that had struck Willow when she'd seen Buffy and Joyce together. Buffy had no appreciation of Joyce. Sure, she'd loved her mother, but Joyce had simply been just that… Buffy's mother. Buffy hadn't learned yet that not all mothers were like Joyce, although Willow thought that Buffy had started to come to the realization during the last few months.

Willow wondered how Joyce and Giles would take the news if she and Xander were killed. Giles would probably bring out Ripper on Jack, although who would win that fight Willow had no idea. The notorious Ripper versus an Air Force Colonel. It could go either way.

Joyce would be upset. Naturally, Xander and Willow's deaths would upset her but Joyce's grief would be pale in comparison to losing Buffy.

Buffy… If she came back and found out that Xander and Willow had been sent away, it would have been tough but if she and Xander were killed, Willow knew it would be that much harder for the blond Slayer, who would doubtlessly blame herself. Cordelia and Oz, Willow feared, would be too lost in their own grief to be able to be appropriately support the Slayer during her grief and the new Slayer would be a stranger to Buffy. Angel would probably still be gone, leaving Buffy practically alone to deal with the aftermath of her absence.

Cassie… She was no longer a replacement for Buffy in Willow's mind, but a friend in her own right. Willow could only imagine what was going through her head. She'd been so close to Xander and Willow when they'd been attacked and taken, Willow was sure that she would blame herself for leaving them to walk alone. Willow hoped the others… Jack and Janet, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were being super nice to Cassie and weren't blaming her for what had happened.

If Cassie had been there as well, then she would have been taken as well or killed on the spot if their captors were specifically after Xander and Willow because of their connections within the supernatural environment.

They were known amongst demons, word of the Slayer's human sidekicks had spread like wildfire. Willow suspected that Spike was at least partially responsible for it, but then apparently word had gotten out before Spike even came to Sunnydale. Giles had suspected that it went back to the events of the previous year, when Buffy had defeated the Master after being brought back to life by Xander. Buffy might be gone but maybe the demons had assumed that the new Slayer would be loyal to the friends of her predecessor. Willow had a suspicion that somehow the Watcher's Council were involved, probably being blackmailed into doing something in return for Xander and Willow's release. Willow almost snorted aloud at the idea. Even when Buffy was alive and in Sunnydale, the Watcher's Council would never have gone along with the demands of demons, leaving it to Buffy and Giles to rescue them. Now, with Buffy gone, Willow and Xander had even less of a chance of being rescued by the Watcher's Council than they had of being rescued by Spike.

Willow snorted at the mental picture she had in her head of Spike being a hero. The only reason the blond vampire would save them was if he wanted to drain her and Xander of their blood himself and then leave their bodies for Giles to find, although that didn't really make sense. Spike had never had a thing against Giles, it was Buffy that he was after. With Buffy gone… and Willow was pretty sure that Spike knew that Buffy was missing, Willow and Xander meant nothing to him. The same applied to many of the big bads that they had faced. Giles himself had admitted before they had left that it was very unlikely that Xander and Willow would ever encounter the supernatural once they moved. If they went looking for it then yes, they might encounter something otherworldly, but they should be fine if they kept their heads down.

Then why were they attacked like they were in broad daylight? Something wasn't adding up and it was making Willow's head hurt. She thought back to the attack, remembering what the men had said while trying to get her and Xander to get into the car. She hadn't got the supernatural vibe off the men, more of a 'men in black slash James Bond slash secret service' kind of vibe off of them, not that she was an expert on such things. Willow frowned. What on earth would the government want with her and Xander?

Willow smelled a rat and it certainly wasn't one that was in the cell with her and Xander.


	18. Chapter 18

Xander was startled awake when the cell door opened and heavy footsteps marched into the cell that he and Willow were in. He rolled over and found that his gaze was focused on a large foot, standing directly in front of his face. He felt a rough hand grab at the back of his jacket, hauling him upright. From where he stood, he could see that Willow was being pulled up in a similar fashion.

The men who were surrounding them were wearing some sort of strange armor. Xander had never seen anything like it and most of them were carrying long sticks that Xander guessed were some form of weapon. He didn't particularly want to find out though.

Xander and Willow were pushed from the cell, surrounded by more of the men, who formed up around them. One of them pushed Xander hard in the back, nearly sending him sprawling. The message, however, was clear.

"Alright, I'm moving, I'm moving," Xander said to their captors, taking Willow's hand as they walked, surrounded by the men, towards wherever it was they were being led to. He glanced sideways at Willow, catching her eyes and squeezing her hand reassuringly when he saw the fear on her face. Willow was frightened and Xander didn't blame her, he was freaked out too. With no Buffy to save them, Xander knew they had little chance of survival.

At least, Xander found himself thinking, with Buffy probably never going to return, she would never have to try and deal with the loss of Xander and Willow and Xander and Willow would die together, neither one of them being forced to live with out the other. Xander didn't think he'd be able to live without being around her and Willow had once told him, not so long ago, that she didn't want to have to leave him. They were brother and sister, best friends. Xander knew Willow was thinking along the same lines because she looked over at him, her green eyes filled with tears, which she blinked back.

"Together," she said softly. Xander nodded and tightened his grip on her hand. Side by side, their heads held high, they marched to their almost certain death.

BtVS/SG:1

Jack waited impatiently at the bottom of the ramp leading up to the Stargate for the rest of his team to appear. Teal'c was ready, as was all of SG:10 and half of SG:2.

Not even half an hour ago, a MALP had been sent through the gate, destined for the address that the techs had been able to determine using the video footage. The gate address connected up with a ship of some sort, almost definitely Goa'uld in design. It had been proven when a patrol of Jaffa had discovered the equipment and had promptly destroyed it, but not before they'd got a look at the symbol the soldiers carried on their heads.

Jack wasn't at all surprised that Ba'al was responsible for the kidnapping. The system Lord always seemed to enjoy rubbing Jack the wrong way. The bastard had, however, gone way too far this time. Nobody messed around with Jack O'Neill's kids; whether they be his team or his family, they were not to be messed with.

Jack didn't want to think about what a sadistic bastard like Ba'al would do with two teenagers who knew nothing of the Stargate, or the SGC. When torturing them for information would prove to be useless, Ba'al would become angry and it was highly likely that he would kill one or both of them.

Or worse, make them hosts. A sudden mental picture of Xander and Willow, their eyes glowing golden, came to Jack and he couldn't control the shiver that went down his spine. The movement did not go unnoticed by Teal'c.

"Are you alright, Jack O'Neill?"

"Yeah, T, I'm good or at least, I will be when Carter and Daniel get their butts here," Jack said in a low voice. Thankfully the rest of his team arrived a few seconds later, along within the remaining half of SG:2, ready for action.

"You have a go, good luck," Hammond said from where he stood. Jack watched as the gate dialed and stabilized. On the other side of that was his worst enemy and his kids. Jack wasn't going to let them down. Drawing his weapon, he looked at the rest of the group he was taking with him, nodding before they strode up the ramp and through the Stargate, ready to shoot at anything that stood in between them and the two teenagers being held against their will on the other side.

BtVS/SG:1

Xander let out a low whistle as they were led into a large chamber. The walls were made of some form of metal and the lighting was definitely modern, although the room was kept dim. Along one wall there was some form of screen. There were more guards standing around in the chamber, with a throne-like chair positioned in the middle. A tall man was sitting in it, his short hair almost black in color with a short beard as well. It was unlike either of them had seen during their experiences in Sunnydale.

Willow was eying the screen, frowning. Usually vampires weren't the biggest fans of technology. Most demons weren't either, which was what made the chamber and the lair as a whole (from what she had seen) rather unusual.

"Ah, I see our young guests have arrived," the man (he bore no obvious indication that he was something else) said, rising from his chair. Willow and Xander were shoved to their knees in front of him, the guards that had fetched them melting back into the shadows. The other guards had moved, forming a circle around them, empty save for the man, the chair and the two teenagers.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Xander said softly to Willow, who couldn't help but nod, keeping her head down and hoping to avoid making the man angry. The man's attention, however, was focused on Xander, reaching out his hand and raising Xander's chin so Xander was looking up at him. Xander glared back at him, refusing to break eye contact. The man smirked.

"You are very much like your father, Xander Harris, or rather, Alexander O'Neill, in both appearance and in attitude." He sneered. Xander pursed his lips.

"What does my father have to do with this?" The man let out a low chuckle before his expression turned serious.

"Everything," he said.

Xander glanced over, catching Willow's eye. She saw the fear in his eyes and knew that her own face reflected her own fear. This was not what they had expected. This went beyond their area of expertise. It sounded like this man and his goons were of human origin, and Xander and Willow's kidnapping had some sort of military purpose.

Willow had a sudden mental picture of the hostage situations she had seen play out on the news, where prisoners, often westerners and particularly Americans, were held by terrorist cell. She thought of the times when hostages were executed while they were being filmed and the resulting footage being put up on the Internet. She didn't want to die like that. It would be horrible for everyone that she was leaving behind. Xander, if he survived, Jack, Giles, Oz, Cordy, Buffy if she came back, Joyce, Cassie, Janet, Sam, Daniel and Murray. She trembled slightly but resolved that she would stay strong. Jack wouldn't be scared if he was in this situation and even though she wasn't his biological daughter, Willow wanted him to be proud of her.

Willow took a deep breath and summoned up the most determined resolve face she had ever used before, letting the mask slide over her features, figuratively speaking, before looking up at the man, hoping to the God her parents had tried to force her to believe in, that her fear was not showing.

"What makes you think that we'd tell you anything? Who do you think you are?" she asked, doing her best impersonation of Buffy. Beside her she saw the look of surprise that flashed across his face, the look of awe that showed on his features, before he quickly hid the surprise, instead imitating her look of steely determination.

"I? I am God, the great system Lord Ba'al," Ba'al replied.

Xander snorted softly. "Right, and I'm the Governor of California… Ba'al? Really? Nice name, did your mother not like you?"

Ba'al hissed at that, his eyes briefly glowing gold, before returning to their usual dark hue.. It was enough to unnerve Willow slightly.

"What are you?" she asked.

"Pah," Ba'al scoffed, "as if you have not already been told." At that particular moment he looked at them both, looking from Xander's face to Willow's and back again, studying them closely.

"Or perhaps you have not…" Ba'al smiled shrewdly, "Perhaps the famous Jack O'Neill has not seen fit to inform you of the truth behind what he does every day. Perhaps he does not trust you, perhaps he does not think that you are mature enough to cope with the news. The Tau'ri are very protective of their youths… perhaps a little too much so."

Xander and Willow kept their resolved faces up but their minds were spinning. Willow was trying to remember if Giles or Jenny had ever mentioned the word Tau'ri. She couldn't remember it and she'd never read it in the research books that Giles had given her to read. Willow did remember reading something about someone whose name was Ba'al in a book about old mythology. If her memory served her well, Ba'al was a title for a lord or someone with a high amount of power. She even recollected the title popping up in the holy books her father had read to her as a small child.

Xander was missing Buffy and knew that, had she been there, the smirk would have been wiped of Ba'al's face well before now. Not for the first time Xander rued his status as a mere human. While he disliked the supernatural when they were evil, it would be cool to have some form of special power, other than food run boy. Of course, it would have come in handy in this particular instance.

Ba'al's smile grew and Willow realized that her resolve face was slipping. She took a deep breath to steady herself.

"I'm sure Jack has his reasons," she said. "Everything he's done since we met him has been for our own good. Besides, if it was going to get us kidnapped, then it's a good thing that he didn't tell us. Now, since we know nothing, I ask that you release us."

Ba'al actually laughed at that. "I am afraid that is quite impossible. You see, you are much farther from your home than you realize."

"How do you know where we live?" Xander glared.

"I am a god and gods are all knowing. It is of no importance to me whether or not you know anything. You will both become my servants regardless."

"What makes you think that we'll ever serve you?" Xander asked. Ba'al smirked, holding out his hand, which had a strange metal device attached to it. Willow gulped, having seen pictures of similar devices in some of Giles' books. They never had friendly purposes.

The orb at the center of the device, situated on Ba'al's palm, began to glow before shooting a light out, hitting Xander. Xander curled in on himself, biting his lip tightly. Willow knew he was in serious pain, fighting to contain his screams, refusing to give Ba'al the pleasure of making him scream in pain. Willow sobbed as she watched Xander suffering, knowing in her gut that nothing would stop a sadistic lunatic like Ba'al from hurting Xander. He was like Angelus, in an obscure way, sharing membership of the being insanely mean demon-with-mostly-human-appearance club. Of course, Willow didn't know if Ba'al had once been a good guy, like Angel, prior to going evil, but he was definitely evil now.

"Stop it," she screamed, unable to watch Xander's body jerk in pain as he lay on the floor, curled up in a ball trying to ease the pain he was in. Ba'al simply turned to her and smirked as he moved his hand, obviously shutting off the power that had tortured Xander. Xander's body relaxed as he tried to regain his breath.

Willow tensed, knowing what was going to happen next… She knew it was going to hurt when the center of the device began to glow again, pointed at her this time, but nothing she had ever experienced before could even come close to comparing with the fiery pain that coursed through her body. Even though she'd braced and prepared for it, Willow couldn't suppress the scream that escaped from her mouth as she fell to the floor, curling into a ball and willing the pain to stop. She clawed her hands, gripping onto her t-shirt, trying to make herself as small as possible, the pain coursing through her entire body. Every part of her body felt like it was on fire. Willow wondered if the torture she was experiencing was a similar to how it felt to be burnt at the stake. It even felt like her insides were burning. Willow took a shaking breath and continued her screaming, unable to comprehend anything else that was happening around her.

'Oh, please just let it end. Buffy… Giles… Jack… Somebody… Help us!' Willow mentally screamed.

**A.N. Well, more angst for Xander and Willow. Thanks for all the feedback I've been getting from you all, it means alto to me that you take the time to review, or just to read my stories.**

**The next chapter is already started, and hopefully it will turn out alright. A warning, I'm not so good at writing action, just so you know in advance.**

**R.W.**


	19. Chapter 19

Jack ran from the Stargate, firing his weapon at the Jaffa he was faced him. Behind and around him, he could hear the noise of the rest of SG-1 as well as the additional teams he had brought with him. It didn't take long for the contingent of Jaffa that had been left guarding the Stargate to be overcome, the last of them falling to a blast from Teal'c's staff weapon.

"Great work, guys. SG-10, you stay here and protect the Stargate. Maintain radio contact with Major Carter. The rest of you, with me," Jack ordered before he heard the scream that echoed down the corridors and hallways of the ship.

"Move, now," Jack ordered and they ran down a corridor from which the sound seemed to be coming. Jack tried to block the sound of the screams out as he hurried along, his knee protesting a little at the forced pace. It had sounded distinctively female and he didn't want to imagine what on earth Ba'al was doing to Willow in order to make her produce a sound like that.

Willow's screaming continued on, forcing Jack to think of the times he had awoken during the night to hear a sound similar to the sound that he was hearing at that moment. The screams at his home had never gone on for this long, Xander had seen to that. This scream was different. Jack could practically feel the pain that fueled it, although he wasn't sure whether it was physical or emotional pain.

The group advanced through the ship, shooting down any opposition that they faced. Sam, Teal'c, Daniel and the others that trailed after them could see how much the teens meant to Jack, even after a few short months, and they were all loyal enough to Jack for each of them to know in their heart that they would do anything it took to get the two teenagers back safely in Jack's arms.

Jack knew that they weren't exactly being stealthy but he couldn't bring himself to care. Speed was what was important. Get in, grab the kids, get back to the Stargate and go back home. That was the plan. It wasn't exactly complicated but it was to-the-point and straightforward, so no mistakes could be made.

Of course, it was helpful that Willow's screaming was leading them straight towards her. Naturally, Ba'al could have made a recording of Willow screaming her lungs out and was playing it in order to lure the team into a trap but Jack knew the men he had with them. They were prepared for a trap.

Ba'al needed to learn that NOBODY messed with Jack O'Neill's kids.

BtVS/SG-1

Xander lay on the ground, dazed and confused after whatever it was that Ba'al had done to him. It had hurt, a lot. Xander had never experienced anything like it in his entire life. Now that it was over, his body just ached and he wanted to sleep. He fought off unconsciousness, focusing on the sound of Willow's pained yelling, knowing that she was experiencing the same torture that he had. Xander wanted to try it but he felt like his body was made of lead and he couldn't even raise his head off the ground, let alone do anything to protect Willow from getting hurt any further. Xander even felt as though he couldn't speak, not loud enough to carry over Willow's screaming. Still, he slowly felt like his body was recovering.

Willow's screams died out as Ba'al dropped his hand once again. She collapsed beside Xander on the floor, breathing deeply and whimpering softly. Xander slowly moved his hand until it found Willow's own hand and he gripped it as tightly as he could, reassuring her that he was there and perhaps reassuring him that she was there as well. Willow wrapped her fingers weakly around his hand and Xander felt himself relax slightly, knowing that Willow was okay.

Above them, Ba'al was saying something but Xander couldn't understand it. It was some foreign language, probably demonic of some variety, but he didn't bother trying to ask Willow if she understood it. If Willow felt anything like him, she wouldn't be able to answer.

A commotion at the other side of the room made Xander stir and he turned his head towards the noise. He blinked, sure that he was hallucinating. It was Jack, Murray, Sam and Daniel and at least half a dozen more people in Air Force uniform, weapons raised shooting the guards.

"Xander, Willow, move," Jack yelled. Adrenaline surged through Xander and he could feel Willow begin to struggle to move beside him. Above them, a blast hit, causing some of the metal piping that was overhead to break and fall to the ground about them.

"Not so fast," Ba'al sneered, stepping forward and putting his foot down on Willow's leg, trapping her. Xander looked over at Jack and the rest of the Air Force team. They were all preoccupied with facing the guards that were fighting them. Xander let out a yell when he turned to face Ba'al. The leader had taken something from one of his guards, a small, snake-like thing that looked rather nasty and demonic. He was holding it near Willow.

"No, get away from it," Xander heard Sam scream in warning obviously trying to get towards them. Spurned into action, Xander rolled over and swung his leg up, connecting his foot with an area where no man, demon or not, likes to have a foot. Ba'al gave a rather high pitched yell and dropped the snake-like demon, clutching at himself and walking away. Willow sat up, struggling way form the demon, which was wriggling towards her. Looking around, Willow picked up a piece of metal piping and smashed the demon on the head with it, making a rather loud cracking noise. Xander watched, impressed as Willow hit the demon again and again until it wasn't moving anymore, before he touched her arm, smiling at her proudly. Willow blushed, and then they both tried to get up. Tried being the key word. Willow fell to her knees after barely getting halfway up. Xander lasted little better, making it to standing for a second before his knees buckled and folded beneath him.

"This isn't working," Xander said. Willow nodded. They were very much in the open still and Ba'al was recovering from Xander's kick. Both of them wanted to get away.

"You think you can make it if we crawl?" Xander asked, hoping that he could. Willow nodded and they both got on their hands and knees, crawling into a secluded corner of the room where they couldn't be seen by Ba'al and were closer to Jack.

Even crawling was difficult, especially for Willow, whose arms often collapsed beneath her, leaving her flat on her stomach. Still, eventually, they made it, panting slightly from the effort, given the condition their bodies were in following Ba'al's torture session.

Speaking of Ba'al, Xander scanned the room, noticing that the man was gone, having obviously slipped out of a side door. Jack must have noticed at the same time because Xander heard his father curse.

"Damn, where the heck did that snake bastard go?"

"I do not know, Jack O'Neill," Murray replied, firing his long, stick-like weapon, similar in design to the ones that the guards were using.

"Xander, look at this," Willow said, tapping Xander's shoulder and redirecting his attention towards the corner where they were hiding in. There was a narrow window in the metal walls of the room and Willow was looking out, her skin losing some color.

"What is it? What's wrong? Where are we?" Xander said. Willow opened her mouth to reply but she broke off and shook her head, simply pointing at the window, unable to say what had her so worried. Frowning, Xander crawled forward, peering out of the window. His jaw dropped.

Stars. What was he seeing, the inky blackness of space dotted with stars? Either it was nighttimes (which was plausible, Xander and Willow had lost track of time) and they were in a very tall skyscraper, which didn't seem likely, but they couldn't see any lights from surrounding buildings or cars or traffic lights or anything, or… they were in space. Something hinky was going on.

Xander turned to face Willow, who shrugged, reading the question on his face.

"I don't know, Xander. I just don't know."

They both looked out the window, looking at the stars once again. Xander searched in vain for any sign of civilization.

"I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," he whispered to Willow.

"Xander, Willow, you two okay?" Jack asked from behind them. Xander and Willow both jumped violently before turning around to face him. Behind him, they could see that the floor was bloodied and the bodies of the guards littered the ground. Even with Xander's soldier memories from Halloween, it was gruesome. Beside him, Xander felt Willow reflexively swallow as she fought the urge to throw up.

"We're good," Xander spoke for both of them.

"You sure? You both look kind of… pale."

Xander snorted. Pale? He hadn't seen his own reflection but Willow looked half-dead, she was that pale. And Xander really hoped that they wouldn't have to walk to wherever it was they needed to get to next because, pride aside, Xander knew that there was no way either of them could walk even to the door, let alone any farther.

"Let's get you two out of here," Jack suggested. Xander nodded as Daniel and another pair of men approached. Daniel and one of the strangers hoisted Willow up and Jack and the other stranger lifted Xander, with Xander's arms over their shoulders and his feet barely touching the floor. With practically all his weight being supported by the two adult men, Xander found he could shuffle along with them, for the moment at least.

"Where are we?" Xander asked. "We found a window and there were stars outside."

The other man supporting Xander coughed, trying to disguise a snort of laughter. Jack shot a glare at the other man over Xander's head.

"We'll talk about it when we're back at base, Xan. Come on, let's get out of here."

"Sir," Sam said, running up to them. "I just did an analysis of the ships systems. It's going to self-destruct in five minutes."

"What? Damn it, Ba'al must have beamed to another ship. LET'S GO!" The last two words were yelled, unmistakably orders. Murray took the lead, followed by the rest of the unit with Sam as the rear guard. Xander found himself and Willow in the middle, being protected both from front and back as they moved through the corridors. He glanced over at her, in between Daniel and the soldier, her eyes sleepy-looking. Xander knew how she felt. His own adrenaline had begun to wear off, leaving him battling off unconsciousness once again.

"Stay with me, Xander, alright? We'll get you looked after when we get back to base. You and Willow will get to spend some time with Janet in the infirmary and you can sleep all you like there."

"Sleep good," Xander said dopily. Jack walked a bit quicker after that.

Eventually they came to a large room where another smaller group of Air Force officers were positioned, their hands on weapons.

"Carter, dial us out," Jack ordered.

"Yes, sir. Thirty seconds till the self-destruct mechanism kicks in,"

"We've got incoming, sir," another officer reported. Jack immediately moved closer to the large circular structure behind the rest of the Air Force guys, Daniel, Willow, and the other two soldiers with them.

"We've got them, go," Jack said. Xander felt all of his weight being transferred over to Jack and he leaned wearily against his father as another group of Ba'al's men attacked, blasts of energy flying everywhere, just like in a shootout from the Star Wars movies. Xander smiled at the thought and he looked over at Willow. Daniel was holding her up alone now and she looked over at Xander.

"Star Wars," she mouthed before smiling dopily.

"Are you okay, Willow?' Jack asked, having obviously not noticed the exchange. Willow nodded.

"I'm okay," she said softly.

"Carter, we need these kids home, now!" Jack called to Sam, who nodded from where she stood at an oddly shaped device. Finally, she pushed the middle button and a very odd-looking blue substance exploded out from the middle of the metal circle. Xander looked at it oddly. He'd never seen anything like it before. There were inscriptions on the outside but he couldn't read what they said. They definitely weren't in English anyway.

The attacking force broken off for now, an order from Jack (which Xander had failed to understand) sent them all heading for the metal circle, which now had a rippled, blue surface, like a pool of water, only it stood vertically in the air.

Jack pulled on Xander gently and Xander staggered a bit before he stumbled up a ramp to the circle.

"Ten seconds, sir," Carter reported.

"Let's go home," Jack said to Xander before they walked through the substance together, Willow and Daniel at their heels with Sam and Murray bringing up the rear.

**A.N. Hi there. I hope you've enjoyed this latest chapter. As I might have mentioned previously, writing action scenes are not really a strength of mine, so I apologise if this wasn't very good. **

**Anyway, next chapter hopefully will be up in approx two weeks (or maybe a little sooner.)**

**R.W.**


	20. Chapter 20

Jack found himself in the infirmary six hours after their return from Ba'al's ship, watching over Willow and Xander as they slept. They'd both been subjected to the usual post mission scans (made easier because they'd both collapsed after going through the Stargate, but not before Willow had thrown up on the ramp). They'd both passed with flying colors. Neither of them had been exposed to Goa'uld larvae enough to be taken as a host and Janet had high hopes of them making a full recovery, but it would take time. Neither of them had regained consciousness throughout the checks and now they were being monitored continuously by Janet and her staff.

Jack hadn't left their side. Hammond had delayed their debriefing untill the next morning to give Jack the chance spend the night in the infirmary with them. The nurses worked around them, checking monitors and making notes on their files. Jack had lost count of the number of times he'd sat in this very room watching over members of his team, usually Daniel, as they recovered from whatever injuries they had gained off-world. It was similar but at the same time, hugely different, now that it was Xander and Willow who he was watching over. It made Jack think of the hours he'd spent in the special care nursery at the hospital where Charlie and Alexander had been born. Being twins, they'd come a little early and as a precaution, they'd been put in the special care nursery. Jack had spent as much time in possible sitting in between the two boys' cots, looking at them hoping that they'd pull through, marveling that the two boys were his and Jessica's.

Now, of course, Alexander was much bigger and Charlie was gone, but Willow was there instead. The pair's beds were side by side so that when they woke up, they'd be able to see each other and it meant that Jack could, once again, just sit in between the two beds. He watched them closely, watching the even rise and fall in their chests as they breathed, sleeping off the effects of the hand device. Jack had little doubt as to what Ba'al had used. There hadn't been many marks on the kids at all, a couple of scratches from the pavement and a couple of Jaffa hand-shaped bruises on their arms but other than that, they were physically healthy. It was their minds that Jack was most worried about. On the ship, they'd been a little dazed and confused but had still been functioning and able to communicate. As the adrenaline coursing through their systems had worn off, it had become more apparent but Jack hoped that they would be okay. He really hoped that his occupation hadn't been the reason behind the minds of his two charges being fried. They were so clever and intelligent and witty. Willow was soaking up languages like a sponge, according to Daniel, and Jack had a feeling that Xander was going to become a great strategist one day. He could see so much of his teenaged self in the teenager. It would be horrible for everyone involved if that promise had been swept away before it had a chance to shine through. Jack startled, realizing that someone had been calling his name. He shook his head a little, realizing that he'd halfway dozed off. It was the rest of SG:1.

"How are they doing, sir?" Sam asked. Jack rubbed his face and got up, stretching.

"Okay. No change, as of yet. They're pretty exhausted, so the doc reckons it will be awhile before they wake up," he replied.

"Did anyone else see Willow squish the Goa'uld with a piece of pipe?" Daniel asked. Sam grinned.

"I did indeed. I thought it was most resourceful of her," Teal'c commented

"I don't know, I found Xander kicking Ba'al in the balls kind of amusing," Sam admitted. Daniel and Jack snorted quietly.

"It was quite an effective manoeuvre," Teal'c conceded. "Perhaps you should consider giving them some sort of hand-to-hand combat training, Jack O'Neill. It is apparent that they have some skill, for Tau'ri of their age."

"Oh, they will be, so that next time someone tried to kidnap them, they can get the hell out of there," Jack reassured his team. He too had seen the way Xander and Willow had escaped and he'd had a funny feeling that it wasn't the first time they'd fought off someone hand-to-hand, even though they were still struggling with the aftereffects of the hand device. Teal'c was right; they were good for someone their age… a little bit too good considering that neither of them had mentioned ever having any training before. Jack was sure that he was going to question that.

"What happened with those NID guys that we captured?" Jack asked.

"General Hammond was able to use what we already knew about the Goa'uld's involvement to make them talk. They all said that they'd been promised a new life where they would be treated like kings and they'd never have to struggle to make ends meet again. All they had to do was kidnap two teenagers… Xander and Willow, and take them to the Stargate in Area 51. They've been taken into custody of the NID and Hammond has been promised by the President that they will be punished for their crimes," Carter reported. Jack nodded. He was glad that the men in question were off the base, as it now wouldn't be so tempting to go and visit them.

"Um, Jack, could I talk to you for a bit?" Janet asked him, approaching the group. Jack hesitated before nodding.

"We'll stay here sir," Carter promised and she, Daniel and Teal'c took over his vigil. Jack followed Janet into her office, frowning suspiciously when she closed the door.

"What's up, Doc?" he asked. Janet chewed on her lip.

"Have a seat, sir," she told him. Jack sat in the indicated char and leaned forward.

"Are they okay? Is something wrong?" he asked urgently. Janet shook her head.

"No, Colonel, they're both fine… it was just something that I noticed of Xander's x-rays, that's all She pulled the x-rays in question out of an envelope and put them on her light board, which she used for the viewing of x-rays. She flicked on the switch and Jack frowned. They looked normal, to him, but then, he wasn't exactly a doctor like Janet was.

"See these lines here and here?" She pointed at a couple of spots on the x-ray. One looked to be Xander's forearm and the other was of Xander's ribcage. Jack nodded.

"That's remodelling. Xander's broken those bones before."

Jack frowned at that. While it was normal for little kids to have a few broken bones, now that he knew what he was looking for, there seemed to be a few more spots than was normal.

"How old are they?" he asked.

"Well, I'd say that this remodeling was on a cracked rib between 6 and 12 months ago but all of the others are between five to ten years old. They're all different ages, and I'm really guessing at being more precise than that, but generally they're all within that ten-year period."

"Do you know what would have caused these kinds of injuries?" Jack asked, really hoping that the conversation wasn't going were he suspected it might be going. If it went there, then Tony Harris better be glad that he was already dead. Hell, where his son's stepfather was no doubt going to burn for eternity would seem to be a cakewalk compared to what Jack would have put the man through.

"It's difficult to say. Xander might just have been clumsy back then and they could all have been sports- or play-related. All the injuries I've found are actually common childhood injuries but I just thought that I should make you aware. I looked at Xander's previous medical file from Sunnydale and he was admitted to hospital for the treatment of broken bones various times over the years. No investigation into… anything abusive was conducted at the time and the hospitalizations stopped when he was thirteen.

Jack leaned back in his chair. Xander had potentially been abused. There was no damning evidence that proved or denied that. Janet was right, it could have been just ordinary kid injuries but at the same time, it could have been something far more sinister.

It had made Jack realize how little he knew of Xander's upbringing. He hadn't seen or heard anything about the kid from when he wasn't even one year old up until Xander was seventeen. Xander could have gone through the most hellish childhood possible (although personally, Jack thought Daniel's was kind of hard to beat and he knew that Xander hadn't experienced that.) The same, Jack realized, was true for Willow. Other than the fact that her parents, like Xander's, had died a horrible death, he knew very little about her.

"Did Willow have anything like that?" he asked Janet, who smiled and shook her head.

"I only found evidence of the slight crack to her skull that happened just before she came and lived with you and evidence of a broken arm when she was about six," Janet replied. "I made sure I had a good look at hers after what I found on Xander's scans but she looks like she got through her childhood injury-free."

Jack exhaled, letting out a sigh of relief. It would be bad enough talking to Xander without having to ask Willow about her parents, especially since Jack had never known them.

"Jack," Janet said softly, rubbing his arm. "They're good kids. You should be proud of them. They're okay now. You got them back before they could be hurt badly."

"They still got taken, though," Jack said, shaking his head. Who knew what Ba'al had told them? Xander and Willow had seen the Stargate and gone through it. They'd met a Goa'uld System Lord, perhaps one of the most infamous, and they'd lived to tell the tale. That in itself said something about their character. Not every seventeen-year-old could say that they'd been off Earth before and actually interacted with aliens. Their lives, however, would never be the same again. They all knew it, Jack, Sam, Daniel, Teal'c, Janet, Hammond, and Cassie. Willow and Xander would have to live with the knowledge they now carried about what was out there in the stars and they wouldn't be able to talk about it. They would both need to sign nondisclosure statements and be sworn to secrecy for the rest of their lives.

Although it did make it slightly more likely that at least one of them would get involved in the SGC once they graduated. Willow was soaking up language like a sponge and Xander had potential to be a great soldier, given a little training. Jack had noticed how much attention Xander paid to his fitness, the amount of time the teen spent running and stretching and working out in the park. It was like some form of military training, strict and hard work, designed to maintain peak physical condition and to develop muscle growth, but Jack had no idea as to why Xander had felt the need to do that.

Jack knew, however, that if either Willow or Xander or, God forbid, both of them joined the SGC in some capacity once they graduated from high school (and probably after they went to college as well) it was going to give Jack more gray hairs than Daniel ever gave him and that was saying something.

He was never going to tease Jacob Carter about looking old again.


	21. Chapter 21

Jack watched as Willow and Xander slept on. Both of the teens had slept through the night, and it was now late in the morning. Sam and Daniel had gone to their respective offices and Teal'c was keeping his distance since, as Teal'c put it, 'Alexander Harris and Willow Rosenberg had just been held captive by a Goa'uld and would no doubt be frightened if they regain conscious and saw him, having spent time recently with Jaffa who had been hostile towards them.' Jack had been forced to concede that his friend was right and knew that Teal'c's history with the SGC, and how he'd saved Jack's life numerous times, would need to be discussed with the pair once they were both conscious and had been briefed on what had happened.

Jack was wondering what on earth he was going to say to Xander and Willow, how he was going to explain what had happened to them, when he noticed that Xander was beginning to show some signs of waking up.

"Guhhh," Xander groaned and Jack took the teenager's hand reassuringly.

"You're okay, buddy, you're safe now," he reassured. He felt Xander's fingers tighten around his hand and smiled when he saw Xander turn his head and half-open his eyes, blearily looking at him. It forcibly reminded Jack of Xander's days as a newborn when Xander spent most of his time either asleep or sleepy-looking.

"Jack?" Xander groggily asked.

"Yeah, Xander, it's me. You're okay."

"What… what the heck happened?" Xander asked. Jack held his breath before forcing himself to exhale.

"What do you remember?"

"Being in some kind of cell with Willow… WILLOW! Is she okay?"

Jack smiled and nodded. "Yeah, she's fine, just sleeping it off still. Doc says it's normal."

Xander visibly relaxed. "We were in this cell and then we got taken to this big main room, where this guy, Ba'al was sitting and he was talking about gods and some other stuff that didn't make sense to me. He said that he knew you but I got the feeling he doesn't like you."

Jack actually snorted in amusement at Xander's comment. "We have a long standing hatred towards one another," Jack admitted. Xander smiled.

"And then he raised his hand and the weird gem thing on his palm glowed… and everything hurt." Xander shuddered and huddled down in his blankets a little.

"Hey, you're okay, bud. He isn't going to get you, Xander."

Xander gulped and nodded before he recommenced the narrative. "And then he was hurting Willow and I couldn't move, I was so tired, and then you were there and Ba'al was waving around this weird little snake… thing. Willow smashed it with a bit of pipe that fell from the ceiling and I kicked Ba'al and we hid… There were stars outside." Xander's brow furrowed and he looked at Jack in confusion.

"Why were there stars outside? Where were we? What was that weird circle thing that we went through? I can't remember anything after that. Where are we now?"

"Look, some of your questions I can't answer right now… It's classified but you are back in Colorado Springs, at the base I work at, and I will tell you as much as I can once I get clearance from my commanding officer, General Hammond."

"Oh, right," Xander nodded, still too tired to really take in a long, in-depth explanation that he was pretty sure he would need Willow to translate for him. He was content, for the moment, to wait for Willow to be conscious as well and for the fogginess and dull ache in his head to have gone.

"Ah, I see Xander's awake," Janet said as she entered the room, having been preoccupied by a member of another team who had broken his arm during a mission.

"Yep." Jack smiled.

"How do you feel?" Janet asked, approaching the bed.

"Tired, foggy, and my head is aching," Xander admitted, knowing that there was no point in lying.

"That's all normal, Xander. You're doing really well. Feel free to have another nap. You should feel better when you wake up. It'll take a couple of days for the effects to completely wear off but you're doing great."

"How's Cassie?"

"She's fine. A little shaken but she's relieved to know that you and Willow are okay. Once you and Willow get out of here, I'll send her around to your house so you can catch up."

"Great." Xander smiled, pleased that his new friend hadn't been hurt the day he and Willow had been grabbed.

"You just concentrate on getting lots of sleep, Xander. I'll look after Cassie," Janet ordered gently.

"Yes, ma'am." Xander nodded, letting himself succumb to his weariness and drift off to sleep.

"He remembered everything," Jack said softly. "I thought he would have forgotten some of it, he was so out of it, but he remembers it all."

"It's a good sign, Jack," Janet reminded him, checking Xander's vitals before moving across to Willow's.

"I know that, but still…"

"You hoped they'd think it was just a nightmare or forget entirely so that they wouldn't know about what we do here?" Janet offered.

"Yeah, something like that," Jack admitted.

Janet sighed and finished writing on Willow's file before putting her pen back in her pocket and the file back in its holder at the foot of Willow's bed.

"Colonel, knowing you and your team as well as I do, it was pretty much inevitable that Willow and Xander would find out at some point. Think about it. With the amount of time you spend in here, let alone when you stay here with one of the others, it would become pretty obvious pretty soon that you weren't telling the whole truth about what you do up here. They're smart kids. They would have figured it out at one point," Janet said slowly.

Jack sighed and pouted slightly, knowing that Janet was correct. Willow and Xander were too old and too clever to have gone about ignoring it and they weren't used to their parents keeping their work a secret. Kids like Carter had grown up in houses where the type of work military parents did was taboo and they understood why that was, but neither Xander nor Willow had been brought up in military households, so they didn't have the level of acceptance that Charlie, for example, would have.

"Yeah, I know," he grumbled, resigning himself to the fact that by the end of the week Willow and Xander would know at least the basics of what Jack's job entailed. They would now know that when he went to work and didn't come home in the evening that he was most probably off-planet, potentially trying to save the earth from destruction. They would now know that Daniel specialized in artifacts that were from other planets. They would now know that Janet spent a lot of her time scanning through the teams, just making sure that they didn't have a snake inside them, controlling them. They'd know that Sam wasn't just a US Air Force Major. Depending on how far Hammond went, Xander and Willow could even know about the fact that both Teal'c and Cassie weren't strictly speaking from Earth.

The part that worried Jack the most was how the pair would react to the news. He'd seen how new recruits had reacted (some had thrown up, others had gone into shock, they'd even had one poor recruit who had fainted) when they'd been told the truth and Willow and Xander weren't like the new recruits. They were younger and were untrained. They hadn't even finished high school yet. Jack didn't know if their youth and innocence would help them be more accepting of the bombshell that was racing towards them or if it would actually make the news harder for them to deal with.

Jack, however, knew that there was nothing he could do to prevent it. Xander, and probably Willow, knew too much to cover up with some story and Jack personally didn't really like the idea of lying to Willow and Xander. They would learn the truth.

And only time would tell how they dealt with it.

BtVS/SG:1

Given that Xander had woken up and shown that he was lucid, Jack was rather apprehensively anticipating Willow waking up not long after her friend and he grew frustrated as an hour passed since Xander had gone back to sleep and yet Willow showed no sign of waking up.

"It's normal, Jack. She probably experienced more exposure that Xander did," Janet reassured him as she saw the worry written across Jack's face as he sat beside Willow's bed, holding her hand in his, rubbing her hand soothingly with his thumb.

Jack had simply grunted in response, focused on Willow. It was unfortunate that he didn't have much time to spend with them. Xander was the son Jack had never had the opportunity to meet and get to know and Willow was an orphan, with nothing and no one left in the world that cared enough about her to take her in following her parent's death.

Jack focused his thoughts on Willow. She was sixteen and orphaned. Jack shook his head. Who knew what on earth was going through the kid's head? He had gathered from watching the pair interact with one another, that Xander and Willow were as close to family as the other had. Given what he suspected about Xander's upbringing, Jack had expected it to go one way but Willow interacted with Xander like he was her only family and had been for far longer than the few short months since her parents' deaths.

In fact, he barely heard Ira and Sheila Rosenberg get mentioned at all by either teenager. Initially, he had put it down to the very real and fresh pain Xander and Willow shared over the deaths of their parents but as time had passed and the pain had become less fresh and the nightmares had become less frequent (that Jack was aware of), Xander and Willow began to tell him little, amusing stories about growing up in Sunnydale, like about the time that they and their friend Jesse had gone ice skating or the many times they would go over to Willow's house and watch movies and quote lines to one another or the long-held Christmas tradition of watching the Charlie Brown Christmas Special together at Xander's house and doing the Snoopy Dance. In none of those stories, neither Tony Harris nor the Rosenberg's appeared, although Jess Harris did get mentioned in one and their friend Jesse's mother appeared in a couple.

Something was odd but Jack forced his suspicions to the back of his mind. The main, important thing he was focused on at that moment was helping Xander and Willow to get over their ordeal at the hands of Ba'al and learning to deal with their knowledge about the Stargate and the truth about what Jack did for his work. For that process to begin, Jack needed Willow to wake up so she and Xander could be briefed together. Sam had been to see Hammond and the General had asked her to tell Jack that he was going to tell them both at the same time. Jack was grateful that Hammond was being so considerate about it. In the past, he'd had commanding officers that were a lot less caring about the civilians that caught up accidently in black ops.

Jack jumped slightly when he felt Willow's fingers move against his large hands.

"Doc, she's waking up," he called to Janet, who hurried to his side.

"Wills, come on kid, wake up," Jack coaxed as Janet checked Willow's respiration and heart rate.

"Her vitals indicate she's waking up," Janet agreed, taking some notes. "Keep talking to her."

"Hey, Willow, come on. kid. Wake up. It's okay, it's all over, you're safe now," Jack said softly, running Willow's hand and arm comfortingly. Willow let out a soft groan and shifted slightly on her bed.

"Willow, can you hear me, kid? Wake up. We need to know that you're okay. They're all gone now, they're not going to get you. You're all safe now, trust me, it's okay."

"Jack?" Willow croaked as she opened her eyes blearily, focusing on Jack's face.

"Hey, Willow. You okay?"

"My head hurts. Is Xander okay?"

"Yeah, Xander's fine. He woke up a while ago. He's having another nap now though."

"Where are we?' Willow asked after she'd relaxed upon hearing that Xander was fine. Jack couldn't help but grin at how quickly each of the teens had asked about the other.

"You're at my work. How much do you remember, Willow?" Jack asked.

"Hmm," Willow went quiet, her expression thoughtful before she began to babble, retelling what she recalled.

"We were in a room, like a prison cell, and we were tied up but then we were taken to the main guy, like the boss… Ba'al… his name was Ba'al and he had this glowy hand glove thing and it hurt, a lot. And there were heaps of guards with this weird symbol on the top of their heads and you guys were fighting them and then there was that weird little snake thing and then we couldn't get up, so we crawled to a corner and I'm sorry we couldn't help you guys fight or anything and there was stars." Willow frowned at that point.

"Why were there stars? All we could see was blackness and stars and then you took us to the circle thing… and it was all blue, like water… and we went through it and that all I can remember," she finished. Jack just looked over his shoulder at Janet. Willow remembered just as much as Xander did. It had been what Jack expected and while it was a good indication that the teens had not sustained a brain injury or something similar during their ordeal, he would have preferred it if they hadn't remembered what had happened to them.

He'd wanted to protect them from the truth for as long as possible but they both knew now and there was nothing he could do about it.


	22. Chapter 22

Sam and Daniel walked into the infirmary, smiling when they saw Willow and Xander both awake, sitting up in their beds. Willow had a magazine in her lap and tapping a pen against her thigh, obviously in the process of doing a crossword. Xander, looking rather bored, was playing solitaire, laying his cards out on the tray.

Jack, on the other hand, was sound asleep in a chair. Sam covered her mouth to hide her grin and Daniel snorted in amusement. The noise made the two teenagers look up and they both grinned, putting their fingers to their lips. Sam bit her lip as she sat beside Willow's bed, opposite from Jack, who was sprawled out in a chair in between the two teenagers. Willow picked up a notepad that had been sitting on the bed beside her and wrote a quick message.

'He's been asleep for two hours now. Janet says that he hasn't slept since we came back.'

Sam nodded, shooting a look of concern at the colonel. Jack snored softly and someone, Sam was willing to bet Janet, had draped a blanket over him.

"How do you guys feel?" Sam asked. Xander shrugged.

"Okay, I guess."

"Jack says that once Janet thinks that we're better he's going to take us to see General Hammond," Willow added, "and everything will be explained." Willow couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from rising as she spoke, looking forward to hear the story they were told. After everything she'd seen and experienced in Sunnydale, she felt like she was ready for anything.

Sam caught the almost-smile on the young girl's face but didn't dwell on it, attributing the half-smile to an inside joke between Willow and Xander.

"I wouldn't be worried," Daniel told them in a hushed voice. "General Hammond is a good guy. He's really glad that we got you guys back and that you're both okay."

Sam looked at the pair. It was the first time she'd visited with them both being conscious. They were coping well, or at least appeared to be coping well. Sam didn't know either of the pair well, but they seemed upbeat and Janet had told her that she was thrilled with how well her two teenaged patients were recovering and coping with the ordeal they'd gone through.

"It'll be a lot to take in but we're all here to support you through it," she told them reassuringly. Willow nodded.

"I know," she said, trusting the older blonde. Sam made Willow think of the type of person she wanted to be when she was older.

"Daniel, Carter, will you shut up? I'm trying to sleep here," Jack grumbled, obviously having woken up.

"Sorry, sir," Sam apologized. Daniel had the sense to pretend to look ashamed. Jack groaned as he sat up.

"Don't worry about it, Carter," he grumbled. "You two better not get in the habit of getting hurt like this. I'm getting too damn old for this," Jack told Xander and Willow. The two teenagers ducked their heads, looking apologetic.

"Sorry, Jack," Willow said, because she felt she should. Jack had no real responsibility towards her and she knew that if it was only her that had been taken, it was unlikely that Jack would have led the rescue team himself. He was a Colonel; after all, surely he had better things to do than rescue wayward teenagers.

"Don't worry about it, Willow, but let's try and avoid this situation in the future. I'm already gray enough thanks to Daniel without you and Xander adding to it," Jack told her before redirecting his attention to the members of his team that were present.

"What's up?"

"Just wanted to visit." Daniel shrugged casually. "See how the kids were going and that you weren't bored or anything."

"Uh-huh," Jack said. "Carter, what's your story?"

"I just wanted to make sure that Willow and Xander were alright, sir, and to see if you needed anything. I could go down to get some lunch or something," Carter replied. Jack grunted.

"No, I'm good, Janet's been keeping me well-fed," Jack replied "You guys want to stay or is this just a flying visit?"

"Is it okay if we stay?" Daniel asked. Jack, Willow and Xander shrugged, so Sam and Daniel made themselves comfortable and began to chat with the two teenagers and their guardian.

Sam was pleasantly surprised at how well Willow and Xander were coping. Jack had told her earlier that both of them remembered everything that had happened and that he was worried that they wouldn't cope when they were told what it was exactly they had been subjected to. Sam too had her worries. It was a big deal, a lot to take in. While they were coping now, it was yet to be seen how they would handle that they had, for lack of a better phrase, been abducted by aliens.

Although, from what she knew of the pair, she was willing to bet that Xander would make a comment about being probed.

BtVS/SG-1

The next day Janet released the two teenagers from the infirmary, although Jack had arranged for them to stay on base that evening. He had a couple of days off and he had decided that since it was already getting late in the day, it would be better to take Xander and Willow home during daylight.

Jack had gone home and grabbed some clean clothes for the two teenagers to wear while they were at the base and so, after their last check up, where Janet had given them clean bills of health, they got changed into the clean clothes and, accompanied by Jack, Sam and Daniel, headed towards General Hammond's office.

Willow and Xander looked around curiously as they were led through the base. They both knew that if they got separated from Jack they would get hopelessly lost, so they stayed close and hurried along. Many of the men and women they'd past, most of them wearing Air Force uniforms like Jack and Sam. All of them did a double-take upon seeing Willow and Xander and many of them openly stared at them, only stopping either after Xander and Willow had passed or after Jack sent a scathing look in their direction.

They got into the elevator and began moving between floors. Xander let out a whistle when he saw the sheer number of levels the base had. It must be a very tall building they were in, he figured, before they were let out and led along a corridor to a doorway with a nameplate reading 'General George Hammond, US Air Force' attached. Jack knocked on it.

"Enter," a voice on the other side called. Jack exhaled and Sam shot a reassuringly look across at him. Jack nodded in response to the look and opened the door, leading the group in. Xander and Willow looked around nervously as they entered the office, seeing the desk and the flags, the red phone, the nameplate on the desk and the tall, friendly-looking man sitting behind the large desk, who had gotten up to his feet in order to greet them.

"General Hammond," Jack greeted.

"Colonel O'Neill," Hammond replied. Jack coughed.

"General, this is Xander Harris and Willow Rosenberg. Xander, Willow, this is General Hammond."

"Call me George. How are you both? Janet tells me that you've been released."

"Yes, sir," Xander replied, his soldier boy memories kicking in from the mere presence of the general.

"That's good. Now, I hope you guys understand but before we start, you both need to read and sign non-disclosure statements. You can not tell anyone about what you are about to hear. No friends, no teachers, no one. It's a matter of national security," He told them seriously. Jack was surprised to see the serious looks on Xander and Willow. It was like they'd flicked a switch in their minds, going from curious, fun-loving teenagers to seasoned warriors in two seconds flat. It was rather unnerving.

"Okay." Xander nodded.

"Not a problem," Willow added. Hammond nodded, leading the pair over to his desk and showing them to two seats opposite his desk. Jack, Sam and Daniel sat down behind them. Jack subtly noticed that Hammond had moved his trashcan quite close to where the two teens were sitting, just in case one of them threw up. It was probably a wise decision. It wasn't unheard of for new recruits to throw up upon being told about the truth.

Hammond walked around and sat in his own chair, passing the two files over to the two teens. Xander and Willow opened them up and began to read, the room falling silent as they read. Willow finished first and turned back to the start, going for a second look at it.

"Jack, you'll need to sign it too, since they're underage," Hammond told Jack, who nodded in understanding.

Once Willow and Xander were both happy that they knew what was expected of them, they both signed the forms where it was needed before passing the files on to Jack, who checked that they'd signed in the right places before signing where he had to as well.

The completed forms back on Hammond's desk, Hammond leaned back, studying the pair closely. He'd never met them before, although he'd heard Janet and SG1 talk about them and he could see so much of Jack in Xander. Willow too was how he imagined her.

"The truth of the matter is that you were taken from the street by rogue agents of a government agency. You were taken to a transportation device and were handed over to a foe of ours, who transferred you to his base. This base was a spaceship. Our enemy's name, as you know, is Ba'al and he is a system lord of a race known as the Goa'uld. The Goa'uld are an alien race that require the use of a human host in order to carry out their work. They perceive themselves to be godlike over human races throughout the galaxy. Goa'ulds once roamed this planet but they were cast out in a rebellion by the humans. They use a race known as the Jaffa as soldiers in their armies, slaves, and to carry immature Goa'uld larvae that are not old enough to take a host. At the time, they used portals to get from planet to planet. We call these portals Stargates. A Stargate was discovered in Egypt during the first half of the 1900s and was brought here for study. Eventually the symbols of the Stargate were translated by Dr. Jackson here and we were able to build a device that allowed us to control where we were sent. Thanks to a security feed, we were able to discover which Stargate address you two had been taken to and we were able to send a team after you. We brought you back using the Stargate." Hammond spoke slowly, leaving himself open to being interrupted by questions or comments, but none came. Willow and Xander just sat and listened intently, shock written across their faces. Once it was apparent that the lesson was over, they reacted.

"You mean, we were taken… by aliens. Ba'al was an alien? Are you serious?" Xander asked loudly.

"Very," Sam replied. "You remember that snake thing he had, the one Willow killed? That was a Goa'uld, one without a host anyway," Sam told them. Willow gulped.

"I need to sit down," she announced.

"You are sitting down," Daniel replied, slightly confused.

"Oh, goody," Willow replied. Xander rolled his eyes.

"Is that your standard response to everything, Willow?" he asked.

"No, I just thought I should say it. It seemed to suit the situation," Willow replied.

"At least we didn't get probed." Xander said.

"Daniel, you owe me ten bucks," Sam told Daniel who sighed and nodded.

"They do probe, don't they?" Xander asked, confusion written across his face.

"Not in the way you're thinking of, they use hand devices instead, which you know about. Those things can be used to read your thoughts or just to kill. You two got the torture setting, which is rather painful," Hammond replied. "Now, we've had a long running war going on against the Goa'uld ever since we started using the Stargate about seven years ago. Jack, Sam, Daniel, and Murray are part of SG1, the first team, if you like. They focus on exploring new planets and building up alliances with locals as well as trade routes. It also means that they are quite often the ones who find planets that the Goa'ulds are controlling. Ba'al has a long running animosity with Colonel O'Neill, which is why we believe you were taken."

"So, we were kidnapped as a part of some sort of grudge match between you and Ba'al?" Xander asked Jack, who nodded, looking a little guilty. Xander nodded, although he couldn't help but wonder why it was he was targeted in order to get back at those around him. Angelus had targeted him and his family and Willow and her family (and her fish) in order to get back at Buffy, and then Ba'al targets him and Willow in order to get to Jack. He glanced across at his best friend and could see that Willow was having the same thought.

"You know, this is kind of a big deal," Willow said, having also realized that she and Xander were taking the bombshell that had just been dropped on them a little too well. She forced a touch of panic into her voice, by simply imagining that Ba'al was a giant frog. She looked over at Xander, who caught on.

"Yeah, I mean… it's aliens. They don't try to invade… do they, you know, like in Independence Day or Men in Black?"

"Sometimes, but they've never succeeded, obviously," Jack replied. "The issue with their whole superiority complex thing is that they tend to underestimate us a lot."

"And we've been lucky," Hammond added.

"Yes," Jack nodded in agreement. "Lots of luck."

Willow and Xander looked at each other at that particular comment. It sounded very much like the Scooby Gang and their battles against the forces of darkness. Willow knew that being underestimated by their opponents and luck had played a huge role in their success on the Hellmouth.

"Another thing you should both know," Jack told them. "I've been told that I can tell you this, so obviously she trusts you. Cassie is, technically, an alien. We found her on another planet when she was eleven and brought her back here because the rest of the population had been wiped out."

"Cass is an alien?" Xander asked, shocked at that bombshell. Why were all the hot girls not human? Buffy was a Slayer, Cassie was an alien, their hot substitute teacher had been a giant praying mantis looking for virgins… Xander shook his head at that particular memory.

"Murray is, too, isn't he?" Willow questioned. Jack and Sam nodded.

"Murray is a Jaffa who rebelled and is a member of the Jaffa rebellion. He has worked with us for years now. I've lost track how many time he's saved my life, let alone helped save us from defeat," Jack told them.

"He has been keeping away from you both because he was concerned that you would be upset by him being around you, given what happened," Sam added.

"How did you figure that out?" Daniel asked.

"Just a feeling," Willow admitted, deciding on the spot that if Murray had earned Jack's trust, then he had hers as well. Xander, despite some worry (Angelus lingered rather freshly in his mind), nodded his head, coming to the same conclusion. He would be cautious, like he was around all strangers, but he wouldn't be hostile. Murray had not done anything that was remotely threatening to Xander, Willow, or any of the others, that Xander had witnessed anyway, so he would reserve judgement until he knew Murray better.

"Are there real names actually Murray and Cassie? I know that we'll still call Cassie, well, Cassie at school, but, you know, Murray and Cassie don't appear to be very alienish names," Xander asked.

"Murray's real name is Teal'c but he uses Murray in public since it is, as you say, less alienish," Daniel explained, smiling in amusement of Xander's butchering of the English language. Willow couldn't help but think that the bombshell had made Daniel appear to be even more like a younger, American Giles in her head than he had been before.

Still, she hoped that she and Xander had convinced the adults that the news had been completely unexpected for them. It had been, to a certain extent, but Willow knew that she and Xander would have reacted differently had they not previously known about the supernatural. If vampires and demons and gateways to hell existed here on earth, what was stopping aliens from roaming the skies and mysterious circular portal things from being used to jump from one planet to another?

"Do you think we could see the Stargate in action?" Willow asked hopefully. It sounded pretty cool and exciting and Willow wanted to learn as much about her new guardian's work as possible while she had the chance. Xander nodded in agreement and they turned their combined, best puppy dog looks on Hammond. War-hardened General or not, Willow was sure that he wouldn't be able to resist them.

"Well, I think we can arrange that," Hammond said with a small smile. Underneath the desk, Willow and Xander discreetly high-fived one another, celebrating their victory.

Even after everything they'd seen in Sunnydale, they'd never seen an interplanetary portal in action before. While it was true that had they both passed through the Stargate before, they'd both been nearly unconscious when that had happened, so Xander was ready to discount that encounter as irrelevant and not counting.

Clearly the meeting was over, and Xander and Willow stood up, Willow putting her mouth close to Xander's ear.

"So much for having a nice quiet life, huh?" she whispered. Xander snorted in amusement at her comment.

"Oh well, what's life without a few aliens and things?" he said in reply.


	23. Chapter 23

Sam sat alone in her office, thinking deeply while she worked on a small piece of equipment. Her thoughts were filled by Xander and Willow. Willow had, amusingly, been full of questions about the Stargate and Sam had answered them, relishing in the amount of interest the sixteen-year-old was taking in her work. Daniel too had been bombarded with questions about the Goa'uld language and about the symbols on the Stargate, which Daniel had happily explained. Xander had simply shaken his head, obviously used to Willow's enthusiasm about anything academic. Jack had watched on in an awestruck silence before he managed to get the clarity of thought to speak.

"You know, you two," he said, addressing Daniel and Sam, "it's a good thing I know you're too young to have a sixteen-year-old kid, because otherwise I would be seriously wondering if you two knew each other seventeen years or so ago."

Sam blushed at the memory of the comment. Jack had a valid point. Willow seemed to have a balance of Sam's own interest in science, computers, and technology and Daniel's interest (and skill) in ancient languages.

Sam thought about Willow's obvious interest in the program, a frown crossing her face. While it seemed much more likely now that, one day in a few years' time, Willow and Xander would probably join the SGC in some capacity, either as soldiers or civilians, she had noticed that they hadn't been overly surprised when they'd been told. She knew that Jack hadn't noticed, as he'd been too worried about them actually being told to notice their reactions, but Sam had noticed that there had been lack of shock on the teenagers' faces. While it was true that Sam didn't know Xander and Willow that well, she thought that learning that they had been abducted by an alien race that had tried to destroy earth would have earned much more of a reaction than the one the bombshell received from the pair. She had kept her suspicions to herself, not wanting to raise an alarm. It could just be that the news hadn't sunk in yet for them… it was rather a big deal after all but something in Sam's gut told her that this wasn't the case.

Something was up… and Sam knew that it would only be a matter of time before the truth came to the surface.

BtVS/SG1

After having the bombshell regarding the true nature of Jack's work revealed to them, things settled down once again for Willow and Xander. Jack took a week off following their release from the infirmary and Janet came by once every two days to check on them. On those occasions, she brought Cassie with her and both Xander and Willow had told the other teenager that they didn't care about her being an alien before engulfing their friend in a hug. Teal'c, despite his worry about frightening Willow and Xander now that they had experienced Jaffa hospitality for themselves, was treated in the same way and Jack swore that he saw a smile flicker across the tall man's face as he was tackled into a group hug by the two teenagers.

Once Jack was back at work, Xander and Willow returned to school. The first few days were a struggle, as they were both feeling tired and they had missed over a week's worth of classes, so Xander had a bit of trouble catching up, but soon that settled down too.

Willow started her magic lessons the week after she started back at school. She explained to the coven members that she had been kidnapped and then had been in hospital, which they had accepted without question. (Willow figured that they knew that they were better off not knowing the whole truth.) Willow enjoyed the lessons greatly, learning more about control and white magic than she thought she would have ever done if she had stayed in Sunnydale with Giles. It wasn't that Giles was a bad teacher, quite the contrary in fact, but Willow knew that Buffy and her duties as the Slayer and Giles's duties as a Watcher on an active Hellmouth came first and everything else came after that, and there just wasn't enough time in the day for Giles to teach Willow how to properly control and manage her powers, especially with Giles spending most of his time helping Joyce track down Buffy, who was still missing.

Xander, having learned of the other great threat to mankind on earth, had thrown himself into physical training. In combination with the running and fitness exercises Xander was doing daily, he had, with Jack's permission, started self-defense classes. Willow had bowed to pressure from both Xander and Jack to go along too but Xander had flung himself into the work. By the time Willow's seventeenth birthday arrived, it had begun to show on Xander's body. He had become much leaner and had lost all traces of puppy fat from his body. Instead his muscles were taut and the distance he ran and his speed increased with each day that passed.

Despite their training, however, Xander and Willow had, after a short discussion, agreed that they'd made the right choice in not patrolling in Colorado Springs, for a number of reasons. Firstly was the fact that Colorado Springs was far from a hotbed of supernatural activity. They'd both kept an eye on the news and Willow had hacked to coroner's website from her laptop but there hadn't been any suspicious deaths that even hinted at vampires or the like. Secondly was the fact that neither of them knew how they could get away with going out to patrol every night with Jack being so observant and involved and that was even without them getting injured.

While it was true that Jack had disclosed the true nature of his work to them, Xander and Willow had, despite much debate between them, decided not to tell Jack about the supernatural, mainly because he had enough on his plate with alien threats to the human race without having the demonic ones to worry about as well and also, once again, to the fact that Colorado Springs, compared to Sunnydale, was a very peaceful town, as far as the supernatural was concerned.

As for Sunnydale, well, they still received calls from the other Scoobies. The new Slayer, Faith, had settled in well and had formed a friendship with Cordelia. Much as she had with Xander and Willow, Joyce had offered herself as a substitute mother for Faith, which the dark-haired Slayer seemed to appreciate. There had been no news regarding Buffy's return but Giles promised, in practically every phone call, that if Buffy turned up or they got any news, that Xander and Willow would be told. True to their word and in accordance with the non-disclosure agreements they had both signed, Willow and Xander hadn't told Giles the truth about their disappearance, instead telling the Watcher that they'd been kept busy with school things and their extracurricular activities. Neither of them had wanted to disappoint Jack by spilling the beans to their former mentor, although, Willow had reasoned one day, Giles probably already knew, since there was bound to be something written in a book about the former alien/demonic race that ruled the world thousands of years ago before being defeated and banished by a human rebellion. The Stargate probably would be mentioned in the same book Giles, however, had been too pleased with the amount of responsibility the two were showing through them taking initiative and organizing training for themselves in magic and self-defense that he hadn't asked questions, though, letting Xander and Willow off the hook. Willow was just glad that they weren't talking to him face to face, as she knew that Giles would be able to tell that she wasn't being completely truthful.

For his part, Jack had kept a respectful distance, being there if he thought he was needed but at the same time understanding that with Xander and Willow being the age they were they needed to have their space and deal with things on their own. Jack hadn't yet gotten around to talking to Xander about what Janet had told him about the evidence of prior broken bones. At first, Jack hadn't wanted to bring it up because he thought the two teenagers were still getting over the revelation that aliens were real and then Willow's birthday had drawn near and Jack didn't want to put a dampener on the event by having suggestions about child abuse in the air. It was going to be a hard enough birthday for Willow given that it hadn't been that long ago that her parents (and Xander's mother and stepfather) had been killed.

Willow awoke early the morning of her birthday, breathing heavily. She'd had a nightmare about Sunnydale but for some reason Ba'al had been in it too. Shaking her head she brushed her hair back from her face and sat up, blinking at the light from the rising sun that came through her curtains.

Today she would be seventeen years old, she thought sleepily. There had been times in the last year that she had been convinced that she wouldn't live to see another birthday… but here she was… a different home with a different family and different friends in a different state, but still alive. Her parents were gone and she had left Sunnydale… Buffy, Giles, Joyce, Cordelia, Oz… Everyone behind… except for Xander. Xander was her constant, the thing she lived for. Her brother, her best friend, her partner in every way save for romantic. Jack had even teasingly said that maybe Charlie, Xander and Willow had been triplets since Xander and Willow were so close.

Willow sat quietly on her bed. There was a part of her that had dreaded this birthday. Even though they were rarely there for her birthday, her parents almost always made sure that they called or emailed at some point during the week her birthday was in. This year there would be no email or phone call, no deposit into her bank account, and no parcel turning up in the mailbox with a postmark from some exotic location. There would be no party in the library at Sunnydale High, like Buffy had organized for Willow's last birthday, and no trip to the movies with Xander and Jesse, like the year before. This year everything would be different and Willow wished from the bottom of her heart that everything was back the way it was. Sure, Jack was nice enough, and Daniel, Sam and Teal'c were excellent to talk to. Cassie was a great friend and Janet had been so kind while Willow and Xander had been stuck in the infirmary but Willow missed Sunnydale. She missed Buffy and Giles… She missed Oz and Cordelia… She missed Angel and her old high school with its well-stocked library and its computer lab… She missed Jenny and she missed her parents. Willow looked sideways at her bedside table, which was littered with photo frames. One of them featured her parents and Willow when she was small, before they spent so much time away. Willow looked at the photo, smiling sadly. She was about one in that photo, sitting on her dad's lap, his arms tight around her as he held her close. Her mother sat beside her father, her arm around his shoulders, the other resting protectively on Willow. They were all smiling, beaming up at the camera. Willow felt a tear roll down her cheek. The little toddler in that photo would never realize how hard… how complicated her life would become. Leaning back against her pillows, Willow lay on her side, looking up at the photo, and let out a long sigh.

In the lower level of the house, Willow could hear Jack moving around in the kitchen and could smell the gentle smell of blueberry pancakes wafting through the house. It would only be a matter of time that Xander appeared, having been awoken by the scent of food, so Willow got up and headed out of her room, intent on getting first dibs on the bathroom.

Feeling rather refreshed, Willow headed out of the bathroom, having had a quick shower. She ducked into her room and got dressed before she headed downstairs. The kitchen had gone quiet and Willow frowned, entering the room cautiously.

"Surprise," greeted Xander cheerfully before going up to hug Willow. Willow pulled away slightly, because the apron that Xander was wearing was streaked with flour. There was a smudge of the white powder on his cheek. Jack was grinning from the table, where the table was set, with three plates laid out with large stacks of pancakes on them.

"Thanks, Xander." Willow beamed before turning and approaching her guardian. "Thanks Jack," she said before giving him a hug. Jack was surprised but hugged Willow back, instinctively understanding that Willow had taken steps towards accepting him as a parental figure. While Jack knew that he and Willow would never be as close as he and Xander were, simply because Willow wasn't related to him, Jack had always hoped that Willow would feel comfortable around him and would go to him if she had a problem.

"No problem, Willow," Jack replied as he let his arms drop back to his sides, the hug finished. Xander hurried over and pulled Willow's chair back invitingly. Willow sat down, grinning happily. Perhaps her birthday wouldn't be so bad after all.


	24. Chapter 24

Willow sat on her bed, facing her mirror as Cassie fiddled with her long red hair. Willow would have preferred not to have a birthday party but Jack had been insistent. Cassie had joined forces with him and that had been the end of the argument. It wasn't going to be much… just a barbeque in the backyard with the rest of SG1, Cassie and Janet, but still. Cassie had come over early so that she and Willow could get ready together. Willow didn't really see the point but she had known Buffy long enough to have gotten used to it, so she just sat and let Cassie fiddle with her hair.

Finally, Cassie gave a satisfied nod and stepped back. She gave a final spray of hair spray in order to make sure Willow's hair stayed where it was and then put down the can.

"Alright, you're done. That wasn't so bad, was it?" Cassie told Willow. Willow shrugged.

"I don't know, it kind of was," she said teasingly.

Cassie laughed. "Come on. Let's go downstairs; I'm sure the others will be impressed."

Willow shrugged and they headed downstairs together.

"Hey, Wills… looking good," Xander said when he saw them. A year ago, the comment would have made Willow a blushing, stammering puddle of mush but now Willow just laughed, swatting at her best friend's arm.

"Xander," she pouted. "Cassie captured me… and then she tortured me."

"Oh, God, a fate worse than death," Xander teased before he dissolved into laughter.

"Very funny," Cassie pouted playfully, swatting lightly at Xander's arm with her hand.

"What are you guys going on about?" Jack asked from the kitchen doorway.

"Willow was complaining that I tortured her," Cassie said sweetly but Jack could see the devious look in her eyes.

"Seriously… I haven't gone through anything like that since last Halloween," Willow added.

"Speaking of Halloween, have you guys got anything planned?" Jack asked. The holiday was the next week and he hadn't heard anything about what Xander, Willow and Cassie had planned. The 31st fell on a Friday, so it wasn't like they had to worry about school the next day.

Xander and Willow shrugged, neither of them relishing the thought of dressing up again. The memory of the events of the previous year with Ethan were just a little fresh in their minds.

"We so should go trick-or-treating and then all crash here and watch scary movies," Cassie proposed.

Jack missed the worried look Willow and Xander exchanged at Cassie's comment but the conversation was stopped when there was a knocking sound on the door.

"Wills, can you get that for me?' he asked. Willow nodded and left Cassie and Xander, heading to the front door. She opened the heavy wooden door, expecting to see Sam, Daniel or Teal'c on the other side. (Janet wasn't coming until later, due to her work commitments.) When she saw who was at the door, however, Willow felt her jaw drop open.

"Buffy!" she screamed in delight before launching herself into the waiting arms of the slight, blond-haired vampire Slayer that stood on the other side of the door.

BtVS/SG1

Jack smiled to himself as he heard the knocking on the door and called for Willow to answer it. He knew what was waiting on the other side. Rupert Giles had called looking for Willow and Xander while the two had been out on a run and they'd started talking.

Jack poked his head out of the kitchen. He knew that he wouldn't be able to see the look on Willow's face from where he stood but he stood a good chance of seeing Xander's reaction to the return of one of his best friends, which would be the next best thing. Jack couldn't help but grin as he heard Willow open the door. There was a moment of stunned silence before her scream of joy and surprise broke the silence. Xander's head whipped around towards the door, his eyes wide with excitement and barely retrained hope.

"No way," Xander had croaked before bolting towards the door. Cassie and Jack exchanged a significant look before hurrying after Xander towards the doorway. They both dissolved into laughter when they saw Willow and Xander, madly hugging a slight blond-haired girl about the same age as the other teenagers. Willow was crying freely and Xander was saying something, although Jack couldn't hear what was being said.

It was fair to say, Jack thought to himself, that the surprise had gone off without a hitch.

BtVS/SG1

Xander had felt his heart leap up into his mouth when he heard Willow yell Buffy's name. He had sprinted to the doorway, hope soaring through his body, exploding when he saw the blond slayer, already with her arms full of Willow. Xander had lunged at the two girls, wrapping his arms around them both and hugging them tightly.

"Buffy, you're here! This is great, I've missed you," Xander said happily.

"How long have you been back? Giles never said anything," Willow added. Buffy just laughed and shifted so she was hugging both her friends.

"I'll tell you later," she told them. Xander and Willow nodded, knowing that the discussion would need to be held away from Jack, Cassie, and the rest of SG1. Even though Willow and Xander were aware of the secret the military team carried, they weren't planning on letting the team in on their own secret.

"How did you get here?" Willow asked.

"Giles organized it. Oz and Cordelia wanted to come too but Cordy's parents have got issues at the moment and Oz had a gig in L.A. this weekend that apparently could see them get picked up by a manager or something, so he couldn't come… so it's just me. I fly back to Sunnydale on Sunday."

"How did Snyder react to you missing two days of school?" Xander asked. Buffy shrugged.

"I don't know. School was closed today because the teachers were having a strike day, so I only miss one. Mom and Giles agreed that one day wouldn't affect my results. You have no idea how hard it is to stay up-to-date these days without you helping me, Willow," Buffy said. "And it's been so boring in the library without you there, Xander. Oz goes and gets food sometimes but he doesn't know what my favorites are and all Cordelia does is whine about things. Faith has settled in well, though."

"Giles told us about her," Xander commented, very aware that Jack and Cassie were watching them closely.

Buffy nodded. "She's alright… but Sunnydale's not the same without you guys."

"Things haven't been the same since you left either, Buffy," Willow said. "Come on, I'm guessing you're staying here with us?"

"Yeah, Giles said he'd arranged it with your dad," Buffy replied, looking at Xander, who in turn looked over his shoulder at Jack.

"You knew?" he asked.

Jack shrugged. "Guilty as charged. Rupert Giles called me two weeks ago and told me what the plan was. Your friend is going to be sleeping in Willow's room."

"Great, come on, Buffy," Willow said. Buffy picked up her bag (which she'd dropped when Willow had rushed to great her) and followed Willow and Xander into the house.

"Oh, Jack, this is our friend, Buffy Summers. Buffy, this is my dad, Jack O'Neill, and our friend, Cassie Frasier," Xander introduced. Buffy grinned.

"It's nice to meet you both. Giles told me about how much Xander and Willow like living here." Buffy smiled. "Thanks for looking after them."

"No problem," Jack smiled in reply and Willow, Xander and Buffy went towards the stairs. Willow stopped at the bottom step, turning.

"Are you coming, Cass?" she asked. Cassie smiled and joined the group and all four went upstairs together. Jack smiled and walked back to the kitchen. He knew that having Buffy come up had been exactly the right thing to do for everyone involved.

BtVS/SG1

Buffy, Willow and Xander walked through the park towards the seat that Willow and Xander often sat at to talk about things that they either couldn't or didn't want to talk about back at Jack's house. The party the night before had gone well and all three teenagers had slept in, although they were all used to late nights. After a late breakfast, Xander had suggested they go for a walk. The girls had quickly agreed and so they had set off.

"So," Xander began as they reached the bench and made themselves comfortable, "what's the latest news from Sunnydale? Other than you coming back from… where were you anyway?"

Buffy let out a sad sigh, a haunted look crossing her face as she obviously thought about what had happened to her since she had last seen her best friends. .

"Angelus and I were fighting," Buffy slowly began, "and then his eyes glowed and… and Angel was back. I knew it was him and not Angelus. He didn't know what was going on at first… but then he remembered. Acathla's portal had been activated and… and I had to use Angel's blood to close it. I stabbed him but I couldn't let go, he was himself again… the Angel that I fell in love with. I grabbed his hand to comfort him but then we were getting sucked into the portal and we couldn't escape. Angel tried to pull himself away from me… to save me from being pulled through but I wouldn't let go of him. We got sucked into the portal and there was a flash of light. We were sent to Acathla's hell dimension. It was horrible for us both but Angel got the worse of it. I was left alone while he was tortured physically and emotionally, constantly. We were there for months, although it felt like years. I didn't age, thank God, but Angel said he thought it felt like about three hundred years… It was horrible," Buffy shuddered at the memory.

"How… how did you get back?" Willow asked. "Is… Is Angel back too?"

"Giles figured that there must be some sort of residue left at the mansion from the portal opening, so he went there and did a ritual. He explained the full process to me but I don't remember the specifics. It opened another portal and Angel and I were sucked back through. Angel… we decided that it was best if he didn't come with me… considering what happened to… to your parents. I'm so sorry, guys. If I knew that Angel's soul might have been lost… if I'd known that you would lose your parents and Jenny and Giles would get hurt, I wouldn't have slept with Angel, I swear," Buffy said. Willow had her arms around Buffy in an instant.

"It wasn't your fault, Buffy. It wasn't anyone's… not even Angel's. He should have been told about the risk… Jenny should have told him," Willow said consolingly. Xander let out a sigh. Despite his own opinion of Angel, nobody deserved 300 years being tortured in a hell dimension. He'd read in one of Giles' books how horrible hell dimensions were supposed to be and Acathla's was no exception. Angel had his soul back… and it was the souled version of the vampire that had gone through hell.

If Xander was honest with himself, Angelus had probably done him a favor by killing Tony Harris. While Xander genuinely mourned and missed his mother, he loved having Jack in his life and the Air Force colonel was a far better father than Tony Harris ever had been. As much as it pained Xander to think it, despite the whole 'aliens are real and some of them would like to kills us all (or at least enslave the human race)', he and Willow were safer in Colorado Springs than they were in Sunnydale. After seeing Willow in the coma… seeing her lying on the ground, motionless beneath the bookcase and thinking for a few terrifying hours that she was either dead or dying, Xander knew he wanted his best friend to be safe… even if it meant both of them leaving the slaying lifestyle behind.

At least, with Angel back and in possession of his soul, Xander knew there would be someone out there to watch Buffy's back should anything go wrong in the slayage department. Sure, there was another Slayer in Sunnydale these days and Giles, Cordy and Oz were there, but Xander didn't know the other Slayer… she could be some sort of psycho killer or something… and Giles, Cordy and Oz weren't really a match for a demon or a master vampire like Spike, so Xander was forced to console himself with the fact that Angel would have Buffy's back. It was at that precise moment that Xander realized that he no longer was in love with Buffy. He still loved her but it was a friend… kind of like the way he loved Willow and Xander wasn't jealous of the vampire… not after hearing what Angel had gone through in hell, not after hearing about how Angel had tried to get Buffy to let go of him so she wouldn't get sucked into the hell dimension with him.

"As much as I hate to say this, Willow is right. Angel… Angel's never really done anything wrong except for brood too much. It was all Angelus' fault. He was the one who killed all those people… both back when he first got turned and after he lost his soul. He didn't know what could happen… about the clause in the curse. Of course… if Angelus comes back and Willow can't shove the soul back down his throat, I will kill him… well, try to anyway."

"If that happens, Xander, and the soul restoration doesn't work," Buffy replied, a deathly serious look on her face, "you will have to get in line."


	25. Chapter 25

Xander threw down his pencil with a loud sigh of relief as he finally finished his homework. Oz hadn't been joking when he had told Xander that senior year is a lot of hard work and Xander knew that the workload would only increase as they got closer and closer to graduation.

Stretching his arms over his head, making his back crack, Xander got to his feet, packing away his school supplies for the night. Willow had a magic lesson that night and wouldn't be home for at least another hour and a half. However, Xander didn't have the house to himself. Jack had suggested that, since Willow was out for the evening, he and Xander could spend some time together. Xander shuddered as he recalled Tony Harris's idea of father-son bonding time but he knew that Jack wouldn't lay a finger on him… or at least, Xander hoped so. Thanks to the muscles he had developed through helping Buffy, Xander had bulked up and Tony hadn't touched him for almost a year before his death, knowing that Xander now hit back… hard. However, if Jack with his military training tried to beat Xander, the teenager doubted he would be able to put up much of a resistance.

Xander shook his head, shaking thoughts of Jack becoming a monster like Tony from his head.

"Don't be stupid," he muttered under his breath. "Jack is the complete opposite to Tony. He's spent time alone with you before… he saved you from aliens. Tony never would have cared that much about you. He wouldn't even have called the cops if I went missing."

Angry at himself for letting his insecurities get the best of him, Xander walked downstairs, following the noise of the television into the living room where Jack was sitting on the couch, watching a game of ice hockey that he had recorded a few days ago.

"Hey, Xander," Jack greeted.

"Hi," Xander replied, giving his father a quick smile before he glanced at the screen, watching the game play out. Although he had never really enjoyed watching sports, Xander found himself liking ice hockey. Jack had promised that one day he would take both Xander and Willow to a game and Xander was looking forward to it.

"Take a seat. I wanted to talk to you about something… while it's just the two of us," Jack requested. Xander frowned but sat down on the couch on the opposite end from Jack.

"I smell trouble," Xander commented, trying to lighten the mood of the room, which had gone downhill rapidly. Jack was obviously struggling with what he was about to say and Xander knew, in his gut, that he wouldn't like it. He felt his stomach tighten as it coiled up, tension flowing through his body.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about this for a while now… since you and Willow recovered from the kidnapping but I put it off. At first it was because I thought you weren't ready yet and then it was Willow's birthday and I didn't want to spoil it for her, especially with Buffy coming up to surprise you," Jack began. Xander felt his heart rate speed up. He really didn't like the direction this conversation was going.

"What… What did you want to talk to me about?" Xander asked.

"When… when you and Willow were in the infirmary, Janet did full body scans on you both. It's standard procedure for anyone who goes off world, just to make sure they don't have any injuries that have been missed, and to, well, make sure no one brought back anything that shouldn't have been brought back."

"Like a Goa'uld?" Xander asked.

Jack nodded. "Exactly. Anyway, Willow's scans turned out fine but your… yours were different. Janet thought she should show me, considering, you know, that I am your dad and everything."

"What?' Xander said, beyond confused now by the conversation. Jack took a deep, steadying breath.

"On the scans, Janet could see where you've had broken bones before."

Xander gulped. Why hadn't he thought of that? Willow had once explained to him that a doctor can tell if a bone has been broken before, even if it is only through an x-ray. Xander hadn't understood Willow's explanation, as she'd used a lot of big words, and they'd only been seven or eight at the time. (Willow had been reading her mother's medical books.)

"I don't suppose that you would believe me if I said I was a clumsy kid?" Xander asked sheepishly. Jack sent him an almost pitying look and Xander knew he was screwed.

"The breaks were in the wrong place for them to be accidental or the result of being clumsy, Xander," Jack explained

"Damn," Xander sighed. "Alright… what do you want to know?"

"We'll start off with whom, although I already have a pretty good idea," Jack said.

"If you're thinking of Tony Harris, you are right. He had a drinking problem and he wasn't the nicest drunk. I learned pretty early on that if he'd had a couple of drinks, I should go and just stay in my room or head to Willow's house. He never hit my head, because that was too obvious and even in Sunnydale, people would suspect something was wrong… but any other part of my body was fair game."

"How long did this go on for?"

"On and off since I was about six, I guess." Xander shrugged. "He stopped about eighteen months ago though."

"Why?" Jack asked, curious.

"I, um, kind of learned to hit back," Xander sheepishly admitted. Jack felt a surge of pride well up within him at hearing how his son had dealt with his abuser.

"Did your mother know?"

"Yeah, she knew, but she didn't do anything to stop it. She just sat in her room and drank… or slept. Willow was the one who looked after me when I got hurt. If I needed to go to hospital, she was the one who called an ambulance."

Jack shook his head. "I'm sorry, Xander, I should have kept in contact, given you a way out or something. I shouldn't have let you go so easily."

Now it was Xander shaking his head. "No, it's not your fault. Yeah, it happened but it's in the past. Tony is dead, as is my mom. It's not like they can go to jail over it. The bones all healed and it just doesn't matter anymore. None of it does."

"Do you think about it often?"

"I used to but not so much now. I've got so many other things to think about now. You, Willow, school, Cassie, your work, Buffy and the others back home… Sunnydale in general. I've let it go."

Jack hesitated for a moment before he slowly reached out a hand, gently placing it on Xander's shoulder. After a moment, he gave a gentle squeeze.

"You've got a lot of guts, Xander," Jack said. "And you're the bravest kid I know, but you don't have to push what he did to you aside. Nobody will hold it against you."

"Do any of the others know… other than Janet?' Xander asked. Jack shook his head.

"Can it stay that way? I don't want it to affect how Sam and Teal'c and Daniel treat me," Xander requested. Jack nodded, knowing that this would be one secret that he would have no problem carrying to the grave.

"You have my word," Jack promised solemnly.

Xander nodded trusting Jack's word. He was right. Tony and Jack were completely different people. Jack was his real father, the one who gave a damn, who cared about him and loved him.

For the first time in months, ever since he had left Sunnydale, Xander knew that he was at home.

BtVS/SG1

Cassie let out a belch that, had Janet been there, would have earned her a scathing look. Instead, it got chuckles of amusement from Willow and Xander.

"Nice one, Cass," Xander commented.

"Thanks. Man, I could not eat another thing, I am so stuffed."

"I know how you feel." Willow smiled from where she lay on the floor of Jack's living room. It was Halloween night and the three teenagers had opted for a quiet night with a few scary movies and lots of candy. Cassie had talked the others into dressing up to go trick-or-treating. Xander had been very careful, ensuring that the owner of the costume shop didn't have an English accent, and Willow had decided that caution would be the best option and dressed up as Joan of Arc because, as she explained to Xander, then she would still be able to kick anybody's butt. So far, however, the evening had proved to be uneventful, so their fears had proved to be unfounded.

Jack was notably absent and all three teenagers knew that something must have come up at the mountain. Jack had told them that he would be home (he wanted to be able to take photos of them dressed up) but General Hammond had called them once Xander and Willow had gotten home from school and informed them that Jack wouldn't be able to make it home that night.

The three teenagers lay on the floor together, watching the movie on the screen. Eventually Willow let out a sigh.

"Do you ever worry that one day they aren't going to be able to save us?" she asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" Cassie asked.

"I mean, obviously something's come up and I know we were never told specifics but Daniel as good as told us that they've saved the world from destruction or invasion numerous times. Don't you ever worry that they'll screw up or something and Earth gets destroyed?"

"That's a cheerful thought, Willow," Xander snorted.

"You know what I mean," Willow protested, rolling her eyes. Ever since she found out the truth about vampires and demons over eighteen months ago, she had felt like she had some role in protecting the world from a potential apocalypse. Sure, it was a supporting role but at least she was involved and could do something that could protect the world. It was only a few short months ago she had played a key part in averting an apocalypse after all. Now, though, Willow was frightened because she knew about the whole other threat towards Earth… the extraterrestrial threat posed by the Goa'uld faced by the SGC so frequently. There would be nothing at all she, or Xander or Cassie, could do to prevent the Earth being destroyed or invaded. They would have little to no warning, no time to prepare for their death or enslavement. Willow was helpless and it terrified her.

"I know what you mean," Cassie said softly. "My mom doesn't tell me about what happens off world… how many times SG1 has saved Earth… but I know that it happens and I know that my life depends on them but I trust them all. None of them would let anything happen to Earth… to us. If the worst did happen… well, it wasn't because Jack and Sam and Teal'c and Daniel and the rest of the SGC didn't try."

Willow and Xander nodded in agreement, knowing that Jack would die before he let the Goa'uld retake Earth. All of his team would… like the Scoobies would die before letting the world be overrun with demons.

"Of course," Cassie continued, "I kind of have a plan in mind so that I won't always be out of the loop." The other teenagers looked at her with puzzled looks on their faces.

"What's that?" Willow asked curiously. Xander, however, had put two and two together, realization dawning on his face as the confused look slipped away.

"When I graduate from high school, I'm going to join the Air Force, train as a field medic, and then join the SGC," Cassie announced.

"It's a good plan, Cassie," Xander acknowledged. "I must admit, I've kind of been having similar thoughts. I mean, not the whole field medic thing but the joining the SGC. At least we'll be able to help then."

Willow snorted. "I was thinking along the same lines. I mean, I know that Daniel is teaching me languages that they encounter off-world, although he won't teach more Goa'uld until I finish high school and Sam talks to me as much as she can without breaching confidentiality about the technology they've encountered. It all sounds so fascinating and, well, you get to go to so many different places. Who wouldn't want to explore different planets and meet different cultures?"

"So… we've all had the same thought… we want to join the SGC… hey, maybe we'll be on the same team," Xander grinned. Cassie and Willow both laughed.

"No way, Xander. Maybe after a few years but there is no way they would put three new recruits on the same team, even with an experienced team leader."

"I didn't mean right away," Xander scoffed. "I mean, you know, fifteen years from now. We could be SG1 version 2.0, or something."

"SG1 version 2.0?" Willow asked, quirking an eyebrow in a manner very similar to Teal'c.

"Indeed," proclaimed Xander, lifting his can of soda. "To SG1 version 2.0"

"SG1 version 2.0," Willow and Cassie echoed as they tapped their cans together and drank deeply. The trio sat in silence after the gesture, swallowing their mouthfuls of drink, before they exchanged glances and dissolved into laughter.

They were still laughing hysterically when Jack came through the front door fifteen minutes later, worn out after a long day spent completing the mountain of paperwork that had built up on his desk, disgruntled because Hammond had told him that, in no uncertain terms, Jack was not to leave the base until every i had been dotted and every t crossed.

Still, Jack thought as he looked at the three teenagers giggling away, smiling up at him from the living room floor while a movie played in the background, at least the kids had had a good night.


	26. Chapter 26

Sam sighed and leaned back in her chair, chewing her lip thoughtfully as she surveyed the two open files in front of her. She felt wrong for doing what she was doing but she also knew, in her gut, that something was up.

Ever since they had been abducted by Ba'al, Sam had suspected that something was amiss with Xander and Willow. It might be something inconsequential but the lack of a reaction from the teens when they'd been told the truth had concerned her. In Sam's opinion, the way Willow and Xander had reacted indicated that they already knew about the Stargate and the alien life that could be contacted through its use, or at least suspected its existence anyway. It wouldn't have been so much of a big deal had they been much younger, as most young children would be more accepting of the truth since they wouldn't have learned the difference between fantasy and reality.

Initially Sam had wondered if it was because the teens had been in shock at the time. She'd waited for Jack to mention that the news had sunk in and Xander and Willow were asking lots of questions or their behavior had changed, or something along those lines, but nothing of the sort happened and the pair continued to act as they had before, going through their lives as if nothing had changed.

Sam hadn't said anything to Jack, not knowing if the colonel would become defensive over his two charges or if he would begin to worry about them even more than he already did. (Although he tried to hide how much he worried about the pair from the rest of the team. Jack wasn't being very successful though, as Sam, Daniel and Teal'c all knew him well enough to see right through the act.)

Nothing that Sam had discovered so far, however, indicated that Xander and Willow had been involved in something that could lead to them knowing about the Stargate, given that so few people knew of its existence, which answered none of her questions and made Sam wonder if she was wrong and Xander and Willow had merely been good at controlling their reaction to the news. Sam, after all, was not an expert on teenaged behavior.

Still, something was off and Sam had a feeling the truth was going to come out in the near future... in a manner that would most likely be unpleasant for all involved. It was SG1 after all.

BtVS/SG1

Willow felt her heart leap into her mouth as she looked at the newspaper Jack had left out on the table before heading to work and she swallowed, fighting her instinct to gag as her stomach churned within her.

"Xander," she croaked out.

"What's wrong?" Xander asked, at her side in a moment.

Willow tried to speak but her throat was suddenly dry. Instead she let out a croak and pointed at the headline. Xander took one look and felt his blood run cold.

"JOGGER KILLED BY WILD DOGS IN SUBURBAN PARK!" the headline blared from the top of the page, above two pictures. One of them featured a picture of the man who had been killed and another of the park he had been killed at, with the crime scene tape going around it.

"Oh, God," Xander groaned, dropping down into the seat beside Willow. Willow ran her fingers through her long hair.

"Demon?" Xander asked her.

Willow shrugged. "I don't know... but what else could it be? I mean, I know this isn't Sunnydale and I know Colorado Springs is close to the mountains and who knows what animals are up there, but you wouldn't think that they would come all the way into Colorado Springs... would they?'

Xander shook his head. It seemed unlikely to him as well and he was somewhat of an expert on dogs and canine behavior ever since his hyena possession the previous year. Of course, Willow and Buffy were under the impression that he didn't remember anything of that occasion, although he had a feeling that Willow suspected something and Xander had never said anything to correct their belief. The memories, after all, were rather unpleasant.

Xander was drawn from his thoughts by Willow's hand on his arm. He looked at Willow and saw the reassuring look on her face.

"What should we do?" he asked her. Willow hesitated, chewing on her lip thoughtfully.

"I'll have to hack the coroner's database and see if I can get photos of the injuries. From that, I might be able to determine what we are up against. This happened in the early hours of Thursday morning and the body was discovered at dawn. For all we know, someone else could have been killed this morning or last night."

Nodding, Xander took another look at the newspaper. He was certain that it was something supernatural but Willow was right – they needed to research in order to learn what type of monster it was and, perhaps most importantly, whether he and Willow be able to handle it alone without Buffy or Giles to help them.

"So much for this being our chance to get away from all things weird," Xander finally said. "I mean, first we get kidnapped because of Jack's work and then this. Things are weirder here than they are in Sunnydale."

"I wouldn't go that far," Willow told him. Xander simply raised his eyebrows in response to her statement.

"But you do have a good point," Willow added, knowing that he was right. For a supposedly normal town, there was an awful lot going on in terms of supernatural and extraterrestrial shenanigans.

What Colorado Springs needed was a Scooby or two in town... and that was just what it had.

BtVS/SG1

Willow swallowed against her gag reflex as she looked at the pictures of the victim's injuries, having gained access to the Colorado Springs coroner's database. Xander sat beside her, holding her hand under the table as he too struggled to calm his churning stomach.

"What do you think?" Xander asked. Willow considered the facts at hand. Her fears from that morning had been confirmed by a news report they had heard on the radio on their way to school. A second man had been killed, mauled to death in a local park very close to where the first man had been found. The wounds looked similar, similar enough to indicate to Willow that it was the same thing that was responsible for both deaths.

"I think we can safely say it's not a vampire. Even fledglings, or a group of fledglings, wouldn't incur this type of damage. The attack happened very quickly and it says that both of the men died really quickly from blood loss, so I don't think it's related to torture. There aren't any parts of the body missing, so it's not like it's some demon that eats hearts or something."

"Okay. Not a vampire and not some form of demon with a hankering for human flesh," Xander said, opening up one of the research books Giles had given the pair of teenagers when they'd left Sunnydale.

"The bite marks look canine, that's why they're blaming wild dogs. They've tested for evidence for rabies but the results haven't come back yet," Willow said as she scanned the coroner's report with her eyes.

"I suppose that narrows it down. How many demons have teeth like dogs?"

"A fair few surprisingly," Willow said, leaning back in her chair with a sigh. "Giles makes this look so easy."

"Hey, you're doing a great job, Willow," Xander said supportively. "We're getting there,"

Willow nodded, getting to her feet and crossing over to the fridge to get them both drinks. She got the two cans of soda out of the fridge and closed it, her eyes falling on the calendar stuck to the front with magnets. Her eyes widened dramatically.

'Xander!" she yelled. Xander came running into the kitchen.

"What is it?" he asked, alarmed by the tone of Willow's voice.

"I know what type of demon it is," Willow croaked, turning around to face him, chewing her lip nervously.

"Yeah, what is it?" Xander asked curiously. Willow swallowed and pointed at the calendar. Xander felt his jaw drop when she saw what Willow was showing him and they said the implications of it at the same time

"Werewolf."


	27. Chapter 27

Jack rubbed his hand over his face as he looked at the report General Hammond had given him. The mysterious deaths that had been occurring during the night in small parks had concerned Hammond and although it was not obviously connected to the SGC, the cases were off enough to have warranted Hammond asking SG1 to have a look.

Jack, personally, was very puzzled. It looked like a wild dog attack but the neighborhood the attacks had been in had been peaceful before and it wasn't even close to the woods, where there might be wild dogs. Recent environmental surveys had found that the numbers of small animals in the woods was quite high, so it wasn't like there was no food in the woods. Another thing that struck Jack as being wrong was that the victims had both been adult males, one of whom had been in the army, and they had both been tall, strong and fit. The bite marks left on their bones all seemed to be coming from one animal, so Jack was suspicious that a single animal had brought down and mauled to death two adult men. Something was very obviously not quite right and Jack was determined to get to the bottom of things before a third person lost their life.

BtVS/SG1

Willow eyed the weaponry that lay in the heavy chest that Giles had given her when she'd left Sunnydale before letting out a sigh and beginning to sort through the things she would need. As a last line of defense, the crossbow was a must, as well as a dagger. Remembering Jack's rule one, Willow let out a reluctant sigh before picking up the tranquilizer gun and the darts that went with it. Resting the gun on her knees, Willow carefully loaded it with the darts until it couldn't hold any more. She put the spare darts in the bag she would be carrying. It had been a long time since she'd had to use the gun and she didn't know how accurate she would be.

Of course, knowing what she did of werewolves, Willow knew that in all likelihood she would only get one shot at it before she herself was mauled to death but Willow knew it would be best to have the gun fully loaded, to eliminate the risk of running out of darts right when she needed them.

"You ready?" Xander asked from the doorway to Willow's room. "Jack just called. He's going to be late tonight."

Willow nodded. "That's good. If we're not home when he gets back, he'll just assume we've gone to bed or something."

"He asked me if I knew about the attacks and told me if we were going to go on a training run, then to stay away from that area of town."

Willow smiled at the gesture. "Well, it's not like we're going to break the rules. He said if we were going to go on a training run... We aren't. This is the real deal."

"I guess. I still kind of feel bad about this," Xander admitted.

Willow nodded in understanding. "I know that he's trying to protect you... us, Xander, but we're trying to save lives here. We're just going to catch the werewolf and then, in the morning, we'll talk to them about how we can help them deal with it."

"I know, Willow. I just don't want to disappoint him, that's all. He's my dad, after all."

Willow nodded and got to her feet, giving Xander a quick hug.

"It'll be okay, Xander."

"Yeah. I've got the chains." Xander jiggled his bags a little and Willow heard the clinking of chains within it.

"Where did you get those?"

"The garage, I think that they were from an old tire swing or something. I've got some rope too, for its mouth. Let's go and catch us a wolf."

Willow hurried and picked up her bag, slipping the safety on the gun and putting it in the bag, along with the other weapons, before the two teenagers slipped out of the house and into the darkness, walking through the light provided by the full moon towards the stalking ground of the werewolf, desperately hoping that they would find it before it found its next victim.

BtVS/SG1

Jack let out a sigh as he, Sam, Teal'c and Daniel patrolled one of the parks in the same area that the attacks had taken place. The problem was that the attacks had taken part in two different parks in a neighborhood that had quite a few pockets of parkland, so they were not exactly sure where and when the attacker would appear. A couple of the SG teams were monitoring the other parks, leaving SG1 only a couple to patrol.

"I don't think that it will strike again, Jack," Daniel said. "Not with so many people about."

Jack shrugged. "If it was an ordinary wild dog or a wolf or something, I would agree with you but you saw those saliva samples that the coroner ran tests on. It's not a wolf and it sure as hell isn't a normal dog. This is something completely new and I don't want to get caught out."

Daniel sighed and nodded. He knew that Jack was convinced that somehow the Goa'uld had smuggled some sort of dangerous animal onto earth and that it was this animal that was mauling innocent people to death. Daniel, however, didn't think it was likely. If it was a plague of the animals, then yes, it probably was a Goa'uld but only one did not seem to be... dramatic enough for a race of beings that had repetitively tried to obliterate Earth from existence. Goa'ulds were, after all, very big on their image and regarded themselves very highly. A single animal was not in the style of the Goa'uld, not any that Daniel had met anyway.

Of course, just on the off chance that he was wrong, Daniel wasn't going to say anything until he was certain of what was going on (which, he was reasonably sure, would not be happening for a while).

"Everything's quiet here, sir. No sign of anything remotely canine, not even a stray cat," Sam reported, lowering her night vision goggles. Jack grunted. Traipsing around the neighborhoods of Colorado Springs looking for some alien hell hound was not how he wanted his Friday night to go. He had planned to spend a quiet night at home with Xander and Willow, catching up on what was going on in the teens' worlds and continuing to build up relationships with them. Xander, it appeared, had begun to accept him but Willow was still reserved and keeping her distance from him. Jack respected that she was sixteen now and that she wasn't his biological daughter and that she did not know him but Jack hoped that, one day, Willow would at least trust him enough to talk to him if she had any problems, rather than trying to cope with everything on her own.

Still, maybe everything would be wrapped up soon and the rest of the weekend could be spent with the teenagers.

"Alright, let's head off to the next park," Jack ordered and the group headed off down the street to their next location.

BtVS/SG1

"Here puppy, here puppy, come here puppy," Xander called as he and Willow crept through one park after another. Willow looked at her best friend, her eyebrow raised comically.

"Really?" she asked. Xander shrugged.

"Well, it was worth a shot. I don't really want to be out here all night."

"Hmm, good point," Willow agreed. Although it was only November, there was a definite chill in the night air and Willow was beginning to wish she'd thought to wear an extra jacket. It had been a foolish mistake on Willow's part and she regretted it as she walked, trying to keep warm.

Xander glanced up at the moon as it hung in the clear, cloudless sky, "At least everyone's staying inside," he observed. Willow nodded in agreement. The houses that they had passed had all been shut up and they had not seen anyone else walking around. Willow was a little surprised that they had not seen any police patrolling the area, but then, if it was something supernatural, then something similar to Sunnydale syndrome might be at work.

The pair continued on their way, walking across a park that was located close to the two that the werewolf had already attacked people within. Xander and Willow stayed alert as they walked, all trace of their playful interactions gone. They couldn't afford to joke around during slaying anymore, not when they didn't have Buffy there watching their backs and doing the majority of the work.

A bush rustled as they walked past it and they both spun around, raising their weapons instinctively. The bush, however, remained still before it rustled again and a stray cat shot out, running into the darkness. Xander gave a shaky laugh.

"We're jumping at shadows, Willow," he told Willow, who gave a weak grin in response.

"I know. I hope we find it soon, I can't take much more of this... My heart is pounding."

"Tell me about it," Xander smiled as they kept walking. They passed through the park without incident and then made their way to the next piece of parkland, which was a long and thin strip of land that was lower that the two streets it ran between and, as a result, had a steep, grassy hill at both ends. The sides were lined with trees and other plants. Knowing that the plants offered good coverage, Willow and Xander wordlessly split up, each of them taking a side as they peered into the foliage, lowering their weapons in order to use their flashlights. Willow's side was less vegetated than Xander's, so she found that she was moving along faster than Xander. He, however, was not far behind her.

Satisfied that the werewolf had not been hiding in the plants on her side of the park, Willow walked up the hill, planning on waiting for Xander on the pavement. However, Willow spun around as she heard Xander's fearful yell, feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand on edge as she saw the very large werewolf that had emerged from the trees on Xander's side of the park not far from where Xander stood, obviously having been disturbed by the light. 

"Xander, run!" Willow screamed, although she didn't need to. Xander was already running, trying to get a safe distance away from the werewolf so he could prepare his weapons properly. Willow's hands shook as she fired the crossbow at the werewolf, her shot going hopelessly wide. Her heart leapt into her mouth as she saw the werewolf lash out with its claws, sending Xander flying into a tree.

"Xander!" she screamed again, taking off down the hill towards the werewolf and her best friend, raising the tranquilizer gun as she did. The werewolf ignored her yells, focusing instead on Xander as it advanced on him, a hungry look in its eye. Xander rolled onto his back and raised himself up on his arms, trying to crawl away from the beast while still watching it. He could feel its hot breath on his face and smell the odor of rotting flesh in the air that the werewolf exhaled. In the distance, Xander heard someone yell his name in a voice that was certainly not Willow's. He was too busy focusing on the werewolf that was closing in on him quickly to pay the voice any attention however.

A quick glance at his belt told Xander that the knife he had tucked there had been dislodged when he'd been knocked into the air by the werewolf and that he was without a weapon. The werewolf was almost on top of him before it pounced, leaping into the air, intending on landing on top of Xander so it would be ideally placed to begin ripping him to shreds. Xander saw the werewolf lift the ground and, for a fear-filled moment, knew that his life was over.

BtVS/SG1

Jack, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c made their way towards the next park they had been assigned too, exchanging worried glanced when they heard voices drifting through the night air, coming from the park. Voices that sounded suspiciously familiar.

They hurried to the entrance to the park. The park was set below the street level and at the entrance SG1 stood at and at the opposite end, there was a grassy hill. Two figures were walking through the park, one on the left-hand side the other on the right-hand side of the park, separated by a wide green space. The pair seemed to be examining the bushes, trees and plants that lined the sides of the park.

And the entire team knew who those two figures were instantaneously.

Willow was farther into the park than Xander, already halfway up the hill at the opposite end, while Xander was about ten meters behind on the other side. He was hurrying to catch up with Willow when a large shadowy figure burst out of the greenery that Xander had just been looking at. Xander gave a shout of surprise and began to run and Willow whipped around and screamed at him to run. Sam's jaw dropped when Willow fired... something that looked suspiciously like a crossbow over Xander's head at the creature but the shot went wide. Jack and the team were already running towards Xander as the teen was thrown through the air by the... thing and Jack yelled his son's name fearfully. Sam could see that Xander was trying to get away, although she imagined that the teen would be pretty sore after being tossed like that, although from the angle they were approaching at and the darkness, it was difficult to get a decent shot at the creature. Jack raised his Zat gun, ready to take the monster down, but the monster jumped, as if it was about to leap on top of Xander where the teen lay.

It was then that the gunshot echoed through the park.


	28. Chapter 28

Willow watched in satisfaction as the werewolf's form jerked back with the impact of the tranquilizer dart hitting it, throwing it off balance. She cleared the chamber and shot it again, giving it a double dose of the powerful, fast-acting sedative. The werewolf struggled to get up once, barely making it to its feet before it stumbled to its knees again and collapsed to the ground beside Xander, who tilted his head back at Willow.

"Nice timing," he croaked out. Willow ducked her eyes. She knew she'd hesitated and she hated herself for it. She'd looked at the werewolf and she had seen Oz with his vividly-colored hair and his sweet nature. She'd hesitated and Xander had almost been killed because of it.

"Xander!" the shout made both of them jump, as they had both thought they had been alone. It was then that Xander remembered the other voice calling his name and he looked over the werewolf's sleeping form, his face falling when he saw Jack, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c approaching them.

"Oh, God," Willow croaked. "I just blew rule one, big time." Xander looked over his shoulder, noticing that Willow was very quickly putting the safety back on the tranquilizer gun before putting it down on the ground and stepping away from it, as if it was some sort of dangerous snake. Xander got to his feet smiling sheepishly.

"Um, hey, Jack... what are you doing here?"

"Apparently doing the same thing as you... only without almost being eaten. What the hell were you thinking?"

"Um, maybe we could have this conversation after we've gotten him secured," Xander suggested, gesturing at the werewolf. Willow edged around the group and went to retrieve Xander's bag, which he had dropped when he'd started to run, fishing the chains out. Jack's eye widened as she passed one end of the chain to Xander and they quickly secured all four of the werewolf's limbs together. Xander tied the jaws of the werewolf closed, like it was an alligator or a crocodile, with Willow applying pressure to hold it down. Satisfied that the job was adequately done, the two teens stepped back. It was only because SG1 were so shocked that they did not say anything, but it was Sam who managed to form words first.

"I'm guessing this would explain why you didn't react as badly to the truth about what we do as I expected," she surmised out loud, looking rather pleased with herself. Jack shot Sam a piercing look.

"I'm sorry, I'm still trying to figure out what this is," he said angrily, gesturing at the sleeping werewolf.

"May I?" Sam asked and the two Scoobies nodded. Sam crouched, looking at the tranquilizer darts, which Willow had not been game to take out.

"How long will it be out for?" she asked. Willow shrugged, chewing her lip nervously.

"About eight hours, give or take. It's pretty big, bigger than Oz, so I don't know, seven hours maybe. I shouldn't have shot it twice, but it was still moving after the first."

"You shouldn't have shot it, period!" Jack yelled. "You know the rule against guns. I don't even know where the hell you got that thing." His gaze fell on the gun that Teal'c had picked up and begun to examine. Willow ducked her head in shame. Jack shook his head.

"We'll take this conversation back to the SGC. I think it's time you two came clean about some things."

"Yes, sir," Xander replied, hanging his head a little. This was so not how he planned to spend his Friday night.

BtVS/SG1

"You mean to say that you have been fighting off demons and vampires and werewolves and witches for the last eighteen months and you never said anything about it!" Jack yelled as he paced the debriefing room. Willow and Xander sat at the table. Willow kept her head down, unable to bring herself to make eye contact with the Air Force Colonel, let alone anyone else that was sitting at the table. Sam, Daniel, Teal'c, General Hammond and Janet all sat around the table with Xander and Willow, watching as Jack angrily paced.

Together Willow and Xander had revealed the truth. The truth about the true nature of Sunnydale and the truth about the Hellmouth that lay beneath the high school library. The truth about Jesse's death, the truth about Willow and Xander's introduction to the Sunnydale nightlife and the truth about how they had spent the last eighteen months prior to leaving Sunnydale fighting forces of darkness that had similar goals to various threats that SG1 itself had faced. The truth that vampires and demons and werewolves and witches were all real.

Neither of the teenagers was sure that they were being believed. It wasn't like they were telling ordinary people about the supernatural. Willow had hoped that knowing about aliens would make the others easier to convince that there were other... weird things out there that gave you a wiggins but she could see that the others, especially Sam, were struggling with the concept.

"The thing that killed your Jessica and Tony and Willow's parents..." Jack said. Xander sighed.

"Vampire. He did have a soul when we met him, though."

"He was a nice guy... vampire, back then... he saved our lives a couple of times," Willow added.

Xander sighed, "Yes, that it true," he conceded, "but he was in love with Buffy, which was all kinds of wrong. None of us knew, not even him, but when he had been cursed with his soul 100 years ago, there was a clause that if he had a moment of real happiness, the curse would break and he'd be all psychotic serial-killer blood-sucking monster again. He and Buffy ... you know, did it and, well, bad times all around."

"He's all souled now though, the soul's is not going anywhere," added Willow, trying to be reassuring while at the same time sending a warning look at Xander. It had not yet been mentioned that Willow had been the one to resoul Angel and was now undertaking training with witches in order to learn how to control the power that she had been born with but had never used, with the exception of the soul restoration, of course. Willow had a feeling that Jack would hit the roof if he knew about that. He was already angry with her anyway.

"Well, that's a relief," Jack spat, "and what part of this whole thing has you two learning how to use dangerous weapons?"

"Well," Xander began carefully, "naturally we needed to learn ways to protect ourselves from the vampires, so we start of just learning defensive things, you know, shoving a cross in their face to give Buffy time to save us, but after a while we started learning how to use weapons, usually from watching Buffy. Giles didn't really have time to train us as well as be Buffy's Watcher, but he taught us bits and pieces. Willow got training that I didn't get and I got training that she didn't get. We both learned how to use a crossbow and we both learned how to make a stake and how to use it."

"Xander was the one that came up with the idea of using water guns with holy water in them as a weapon," Willow added. Sam nodded in approval at the ingenuity Jack's son had shown in creating such a useful weapon, although it wouldn't be much good in the SGC's hands.

"While I understand this is all very important," Hammond put in a quiet, yet calm voice that made everyone else fall silent and listen to him, "what I would know is what I should do with the thing that has been causing all this... the werewolf."

Xander shifted in his seat, wincing as the movement made his side throb in pain where he had been hit by the werewolf. While the swipe had not drawn blood or broken bones, Xander knew his side was going to be heavily bruised for the next few days.

"If we're right about this and it is a werewolf, he will regain his human form at sunrise, or a little bit after. He or she will sleep through the change, which is normal, as far as we know, and wake up with no memories of what's been happening. Then Willow and I were planning on talking to them about options, you know, investing in a cage to transform in or something like that and warning them about the hunters that will pretty much do what we did last night, except, well, they'll use a real gun with silver bullets and the werewolf won't wake back up."

"Why don't you guys do that, you know, kill them? You kill vampires and other demons. What's the difference?" Sam asked.

"Werewolves are still ordinary people all the time except for three nights of the month. They live normal lives and they don't let it rule them...well, not all of them anyway," Willow snapped before flinching at the harsh tone of voice she had used. SG1 looked at her in surprise.

"Sorry," she said. "My boyfriend... well, former boyfriend, is a werewolf and he was in a band and he went to high school, just like a normal teenager. He never let it affect him. In fact, sometimes he used his keen senses to track demons and vampires for us. I even used to stay with him when he transformed."

"Really?" Daniel asked.

"Well, I sat outside his cage in the library and read to him," Willow admitted. "It helped keep him calm."

"I'm sorry," Sam apologized, having not realized that Willow actually knew a werewolf. Willow shrugged and ducked her head again.

"Alright, well, it's quite a while until dawn. I suggest you go home and get some sleep and we'll deal with this in the morning," Hammond suggested. SG1 nodded and got to their feet. Willow and Xander followed the adults' lead but stopped when Jack turned to face them.

"Xander, I want you to go with Janet and get your side checked out," he told Xander, who nodded, and followed Janet from the room. Teal'c walked after them, intending to shadow Xander to ensure the boy was protected. Sam and Daniel lingered with Jack and Willow.

"Willow, come with me, I want to talk to you," Jack said. "And then, Danny, can you take Willow back home? I'm going to stay here with Xander. You head home, Carter. I know you stayed here last night working on that gadget that SG11 found."

Sam nodded and they all left General Hammond's debriefing chamber, leaving the General standing alone in the room.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Jack." George said to himself as he turned off his desk light, knowing that he needed to go home and think about what he had discovered. It had been a long day and George knew sleep would not come easily for anyone that night.

BtVS/SG1

"You broke rule one," Jack said in a deceptively calm voice as he sat on his desk. Willow sat in a chair opposite him, her eyes downcast.

"I know," she said.

"You could have hit Xander."

"I know."

"You hesitated. He could have been killed."

"I know," Willow choked out. For the first time in her life, she knew what it was like to have a parental figure being disappointed in her. She had worked he whole life to please her biological parents with good grades and revered obedience and it hadn't worked. Her behavior was neither praised, nor acknowledged, not reprimanded. She had just been ignored. Now, though, she felt the full weight of Jack's anger on her shoulders and she didn't like the feeling... not one bit.

"You know... is that the only thing you can say right now?" Jack yelled and Willow flinched at the volume.

"I'm sorry," she stammered, fighting the urge to cry. Crying in front of Jack was not acceptable – it would show him how weak she was, how she wasn't brave like him, as much as she strived to be.

"Explain yourself," Jack ordered and Willow took a shaky breath.

"When we found out Oz was a werewolf, I decided I would stay with him during his transformations. Giles allowed it on the condition that, if he got loose, I would shoot Oz with the tranquilizer gun before he attacked me. I got taught how to shoot. Giles had two tranquilizer guns and he gave me the one I always had during Oz's transformations when I left Sunnydale with a collection of other things that were, you know, slayage-related. Xander got a box of things too but between us we only had one tranquilizer gun. This afternoon, when we figured out that it was a werewolf, there was no time to call Buffy or Giles and get back up, so we decided to act before someone else got killed. Xander is better than me with pretty much every weapon, so he told me to take the gun. He knows how to use the gun as well – last Halloween in Sunnydale we all became what we were dressed up. Buffy was a 17th century lady, I was a ghost, and Xander was a soldier. He's carried all the memories of a soldier after that, that's why he's the one that plans our training sessions. In that park, we split up to save time and my side wasn't as difficult to look at as Xander's, so I got ahead. I was going to meet him on the pavement but then it jumped out at him, and I thought it was Oz for a moment and I froze up. Xander was looking to me to protect him and I failed," Willow babbled, unable to bring herself to look at Jack in the face, only imagining the disapproval and disbelief that would be written across his face.

"And why couldn't you contact us, huh? You know what we deal with every day. Is it too much of a stretch to add vampires and demons and werewolves, for crying out loud?"

Willow shook her head, her lips pursed together.

Jack sighed, "Go home, Willow, and stay there," he ordered, "No more patrolling, you got it?"

Willow nodded and wordlessly got to her feet, creeping out of Jack's office with her head bowed. She walked past Daniel, who was waiting in the corridor, and headed for the car park, the archaeologist watching her with sad eyes.

The ride home was silent. Making up his mind, Daniel grabbed his emergency clothing bag from his back seat and followed Willow into the house, wincing as the teen walked wordlessly up the stairs to her room. He heard her brush her teeth before her bedroom door closed and the light that came out from beneath the door was turned off. Sadly shaking his head, Daniel made up a bed on the couch and made himself comfortable, wondering how on earth things had been turned upside down in a short ten hours.

And wondering how on earth things were going to be made right once again.


	29. Chapter 29

Xander blinked as he regained consciousness, yawning sleepily as he looked around the now familiar room he was in. The infirmary at the SGC was as clean as ever and Xander wondered if it was out of fear of Janet that any trace of dirt stayed away.

"Hey," Jack said from where he was sitting, beside Xander's bed. Xander knew from the dark shadows underneath his father's eyes that the older man had not slept at all the previous night.

"Hi," Xander replied, slowly moving under the blankets. He was relieved to find that he was in far less pain than he had been in previously, although he suspected that it had something to do with the IV that was running into the back of his hand and the slightly fuzzy feeling in his head that he had come to associate with mild painkillers.

"What time is it?" Xander asked

"Not long after dawn. You were right about the werewolf. I just got told that he just turned back into a human."

Xander nodded, pleased that after everything Willow and Xander had been through in the last few hours they had been right about the real origin of the creature terrorizing the suburbs of Colorado Springs.

"Where's Willow?"

"At home still. We had a talk last night and I sent her back to get some sleep and to stop me from saying something to her that I might regret," Jack admitted. He knew he'd been overly angry the night before but seeing the two teenagers fighting something like the werewolf and then calmly talking about how they'd been doing the same thing since the beginning of the previous year... it had been a nasty shock for Jack and he had not coped with it well.

"I hope you weren't too hard on her," Xander said.

Jack winced. "I still don't get why you didn't call me for help."

"Why? I mean, yeah, we know that you're used to weirdness but werewolves are not your area of expertise. Besides, neither one of use are used to having parents that are overly approachable."

"What do you mean? I mean, I know Tony and Jessica weren't the best parents around, but what was wrong with Willow's parents? They sounded like nice enough people from what people were saying at their funeral."

Xander snorted. "Willow's parents made my mother look attentive. Willow's mother was obsessed with her career. The year before they died, Willow's parents were in Sunnydale for a grand total of twelve weeks the entire year. The rest of their time was either spent attending conferences, doing talks at universities, or going on overseas holidays. Up until now, Willow has never been further from home than L.A. when we went there for a school trip. Willow raised herself, fighting to gain acknowledgement in any form from her parents. She busted her gut at school, she did what she was told, she never put a toe out of line, and it got her nothing except for a good view of her parent's backs. Every single promise they made her got broken, even if it was as simple as being in town for her birthday. As far as I am concerned, Willow didn't have parents, just people who put money into her bank account every week for food and organized for someone to pay the bills."

A cold feeling seeped into Jack's heart as he remembered how upset Willow had been the previous night when he'd sent her away. He'd had good intentions, the kid looked like she needed a decent sleep, but Jack hadn't realized how much potential damage he had done. Willow, the one of the teens that Jack had thought would have had the better childhood, had been neglected and abused just as badly as Xander, just in a different way. Willow had never had anyone actually being responsible for her welfare before and had instead looked after herself and now Jack had scolded her for doing what she had done for most of her life. She must think he was a complete jerk and Jack feared that Willow would never trust him, especially if she hadn't already begun to do so.

Jack knew that it had been necessary for him to say something to both of the teenagers but, had he known the truth about Willow's upbringing and how up until now Willow had practically been her own parent, he would have gone about it a different way.

If Jack didn't do something about this straight away, he knew that Xander would never forgive him.

BtVS/SG1

Daniel Jackson was woken up by the sound of his phone going off. He startled awake, blinking as he tried to clear his vision enough to locate his glasses. Reaching out, he fumbled around until he found them, sliding them back onto his face before he reached out and picked up his phone.

"Hello?" he answered sleepily.

"Danny, don't tell me I woke you up."

"Jack, it's early. What is it?"

"Where are you?"

"Your house, I slept on the sofa." Daniel sat up, the blanket he had thrown over himself slipping off at the movement.

"Is Willow with you?"

"She went up to her room last night... this morning, when we got here. I haven't seen her since. What did you say to her? I've never seen her like that."

"Probably things I shouldn't have," Jack admitted. "Could you just go and check on her for me? I figure she is going to want to be here when our guest wakes up."

"It transformed?"

"Yep, right when the kids said it would. We've got a man, I'd say about twenty-six years old, Caucasian, brown hair, beard, six foot three inches tall and weighing about 210 pounds."

Daniel nodded. "We'll be on our way," he told Jack before hanging up and climbing off the couch, staggering up the stairs towards Willow's bedroom. He knocked on the door.

"Yes," Willow's voice came from inside. Daniel took it as an invitation and cracked the door open. Willow was sitting up on her bed, although Daniel knew straight away that the teenager had not slept.

"Jack just called and asked us to come to the base. You two were right about the werewolf transforming back and Jack figured that you'd want to be there when he wakes up so you and Xander can talk to him."

Willow nodded and slid off the bed, still fully clothed in the clothes she had been wearing the previous night.

"Alright, just give me a few minutes," she told Daniel, who nodded, scurrying out of the room, wondering how much coffee Jack had in the house because Daniel was certain that he would need some to wake him up.

BtVS/SG1

Willow followed Daniel into the bowels of the mountain complex, completely and utterly lost. She hoped the archaeologist knew where he was going because if he didn't, it would take them days just to find a way out.

Alright, that was an exaggeration, it wouldn't take that long, besides... there were quite a few military personnel standing around that would be able to point out the way back to the exit but Willow stayed close to her mentor as he lead her to the brig area of the base. They turned around a corner and Willow felt relief wash over her as she saw Xander, standing with Jack, Sam, Teal'c and General Hammond.

Her eyes locking onto Xander, she made a beeline for him. Xander pulled her into a quick hug.

"You okay?" she asked quietly.

Xander nodded. "A few bruises but nothing broken. Janet said that as long as I didn't do anything too strenuous, then I could come down here."

Willow nodded, staying close beside Xander, while at the same time carefully avoiding looking towards Jack. She would need her wits about her while talking to the werewolf and to do that, she needed to be focused. Willow knew that if she got too involved in thinking about Jack, then she would be useless.

"He's already awake," Xander told her in a hushed tone. "He didn't know where he was and got a little aggressive. They're putting him into an interview room for us. Jack's going to be in there with us, just for legal reasons."

Willow nodded, knowing that Jack wanted to keep close to Xander. It was understandable, considering everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours. Xander had narrowly escaped being killed by a creature that supposedly only lived in fairytales and horror movies, as far as Jack was concerned anyway.

A man in uniform approached the group. "Alright, he's ready," the man reported. Jack nodded, and looked at Willow and Xander, who exchanged nervous looks. Xander took Willow's hand in his own.

"Okay, let's get this over and done with." He led the way to a door which would lead to the room the werewolf was in. He opened the door, leading the way in, with Willow and Xander following close behind.

The werewolf sat at a table, his hands clasped on the table in front of him. There was a slight apprehension on his face, which Willow understood completely. She would be terrified if she was in the man's position, especially if he was unaware of the fact he was a werewolf. She smiled reassuringly at him as she and Xander sat down on the opposite side of the table to the werewolf.

"Hi there, I'm Willow, this is Xander and that is Colonel O'Neill, US Air Force," Willow introduced.

The man swallowed nervously. "I'm Tyson...Tyson Rodd."

"It's nice to meet you, Tyson," Xander smiled warmly, fully aware from the mirror on the opposite wall that the rest of Jack's team and General Hammond, were watching what was going on in the room. It was slightly unnerving and Xander couldn't even imagine how it was making Tyson feel.

"Tyson, do you have any idea why you are here?" Willow asked softly. Tyson shook his head.

"I must have sleepwalked or something like that. I went to bed at home and when I woke up, I was here at this military base."

"Have you been sleepwalking often recently?" Xander asked.

Tyson nodded. "Yes, every night now for a couple of days."

"Is there anyone at you home that could support that?" Jack asked, trying to imitate the two teenagers and their friendly approach but failing dismally.

Tyson shook his head. "No, I don't have any family... or many friends. I'm just passing through town at the moment. I'm living in my motor home." Jack nodded in understanding at let that line of questioning drop.

"Where are you heading?" Willow asked politely.

Tyson shrugged. "I don't know, there are a couple of things I want to experience in California."

"Neat, we're from California." Xander smiled.

"Yeah, any recommendations for places to visit?"

"Hmm, the beaches… and Hollywood is always popular," Xander suggested.

Tyson nodded. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I don't mean to be rude, but aren't you two a little... young to be working for the military. You don't look like you're old enough to be out of high school yet." Willow bit down on the automatic "we're not" response that had been on the tip of her tongue. Instead she just smiled.

"We're consulting with the military. Colonel O'Neill asked us to help out with your case. I know we look young... but we know a lot about some things." Willow mentally patted herself on the back for the save and caught a glimpse of the glance of approval Jack sent her way. It hadn't... completely been a lie. She'd just... bended the truth a little.

"Really, do you know how to get me out of here?" Tyson asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Sorry, I'd need to ask for directions, it's like a rabbit warren in here," Xander joked. Tyson snorted with laughter at the comment.

"So, what are these things you know a lot about?" he asked once he had settled down. Xander adopted a more serious face and he leaned forward.

"We can help you with your sleepwalking... we can help make it so that you wake up in the same place that you fell asleep. We know people that can help you. We know people who have the same problem as you," Xander explained. Tyson stiffened and a tiny little voice in the back of Willow's head told her that something was wrong.

"What problem?"

"How long has the sleepwalking been going on?" Willow asked. Tyson turned in his chair to face her, a glint in his eye that Willow had not noticed before.

"Oh, off and on, for about three years now. Three days a month." Tyson smirked.

"You know..." Xander asked. Tyson nodded.

"I know," he confirmed.

"Why... why didn't you try and contain yourself... get a cage to go in your van or something?" Willow asked. A slow smile spread across Tyson's face and a cold feeling spread through Willow's body as Tyson's fear melted away.

"Why would I want to do a thing like that? I have a power... a power that no one like you could ever imagine. I can kill anyone I like and make it look like some animal attack. I never wake up hungry anymore, I'm always full. I like it, my power. It is who I am. It chose me and nothing you say or do is going to do a thing to stop it. I am going to California and I'm going to go to that Hellmouth. I heard that someone's offering up big bucks to off the Slayer there, so I'm going to off the Slayer, collect the dough, and keep partying every full moon for the rest of my life."

With that Tyson pushed the table sideways, hurling it through the air and into the wall. Willow and Xander jumped to their feet but before Tyson could grab Xander, Willow jumped in between the two, knowing that if one of them had to die, it should be her. Jack shouldn't have to try and deal with the loss of another son. Tyson smirked as he looked at Willow.

"Brave but foolish, girl," he told her before reaching out one well-muscled hand and grasping her throat tightly, grabbing her left hand with his other hand and lifting her clean off the floor, leaving her toes dangling over six inches from the ground.

"Do anything and she dies. I'll break her scrawny neck!" Tyson yelled at Jack and Xander. Jack lowered his gun, putting it on the ground in front to him. Xander was watching on with wide eyes.

"This is just perfect," Tyson snarled. "I know about you and Xander's little escapades on the Hellmouth. I didn't realize you were here in Colorado Springs, though. I wonder what the Mayor will pay me when I tell him that I was the one who killed you, the one who resouled the great Angelus."

"Uh, in case you haven't noticed, you're still in a locked room in the middle of a military base. You aren't going anywhere near Sunnydale... or the Slayer. Actually, isn't this the part that you crack the line? You know, something along the lines of 'and I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids'," Xander used finger quotes and, had the situation not been so serious with Willow being strangled right in front of him, Jack would have laughed.

Tyson, on the other hand, failed to see the humor of Xander's comment and his grip on Willow's throat tightened and he brought her closer to his body. Willow coughed and gagged as she struggled to take in oxygen. She was fighting a losing battle and her vision was already beginning to gray alarmingly.

"You know, Willow, you really don't understand the power being a werewolf gives you, despite what you and your little friend here say. Let's give you a taste of it."

"No!" Xander screamed, powerless to do anything as Tyson lifted Willow's wrist to his mouth, his mouth open and his teeth gleaming as he prepared to bite into Willow's pale flesh, changing her life forever. Spurred into action by the sound of Xander's voice, Willow swung her knee up as hard as she could, satisfaction flowing through her as she felt her knee connect with Tyson's sensitive areas. The man let out a bellow and let go of her and Willow plummeted to the ground, collapsing in a heap on the concrete floor of the room. Her head hit the concrete hard and everything momentarily went black. Willow forced herself back into consciousness and began to struggle away from the werewolf, who had recovered from the injury to his manhood and was glaring at her, madness in his eyes that made Willow genuinely frightened in a way that she hadn't been since before she left Sunnydale.

It was at that moment that the gunshot echoed throughout the room. Willow jumped violently at the noise and then her gut churned as, as if in slow motion, she saw the bullet hit Tyson square in the middle of the forehead. Blood splattered the wall behind the werewolf as the bullet exited through the back of his skull and Willow watched as his body collapsed, almost on top of her, never to move of its own accord again.

The werewolf was dead.


	30. Chapter 30

Willow turned her head, looking behind her. Her vision was obscured by Xander, who had chosen that moment to leap to her side, hauling her upright and embracing her. Willow's eyes watered at the movement and she coughed, gasping for breath as she tried to suck air into her oxygen-deprived lungs.

Beyond Xander stood Jack, gun raised and pointed at the empty space where the werewolf's head had been. Willow instantly knew that he was the one who had shot Tyson Rodd. Willow jumped again as the door burst open, the sudden movement triggering a coughing fit. Willow felt large hands rubbing her back as she tried to clear the cobwebs from her mind with oxygen. Someone pulled her against them, although Willow could still feel Xander's familiar hands on her.

"It's okay, Willow, I've got you," Jack's voice said softly in her ear as he rubbed her back. Willow didn't have the strength to move or even hold her own body up, so she stayed where she was, leaning against Jack's chest as he rubbed her back and Xander clutched at her hands.

"In and out, nice and easy," Jack instructed and Willow forced herself to breathe in time with Jack, following the movement of his chest. Slowly, her breathing calmed, although her throat still burned, and Willow became more aware of what was going on around her.

Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were all looking at her with concern written across their faces... even Teal's normally stoic and unreadable face showed his concern.

"You okay, Willow?" Jack asked. Willow nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Willow doubted that if she tried to talk she would be able to manage little more than a whisper.

General Hammond was standing over the body, along with several other soldiers. Two had their guns out, pointed at the prone figure.

"Didn't need silver bullets or anything, did he, son?" Hammond asked Xander, who shook his head.

"No, werewolves are just like normal humans when they are not in their transformed state, except they have a heightened sense of smell. Did he get you, Wills?"

Willow blinked, having not even realized that she was tightly gripping the arm that Tyson had tried to bite and holding it close to her chest. She forced herself to let go of the limb and held it out for Xander to inspect. She thought she would feel the pain from a bite but then, she did feel sort of numb.

"Hang on... why would getting bitten matter?" Sam asked. "I thought the myth was that you had to get bitten by the werewolf while he or she was transformed, not a human."

"That's just it, it's a myth. The fact is that werewolves are venomous 24 hours a day, seven days a week, regardless of if it's daytime or nighytime, full moon or no moon," Xander replied.

"My boyfriend... Oz," Willow croaked out, wincing at the sound of her voice. "He was babysitting his cousin and he was tickling him, which turned into play fighting, and Oz got bitten. That was how he became a werewolf... His little cousin was a werewolf."

Jack blanched at the news and grabbed Willow's arm off Xander, checking it for any damage, even though Xander had already done it, while all of SG1 winced.

Willow leaned her head against Jack's shoulder and blinked. She was studiously avoiding looking at Tyson's body and the blood splatters on the wall, since every time she looked at it her stomach churned and she really didn't think Jack would appreciate it if she threw up on him and as uncomfortable she had been practically sitting in Jack's lap at first, now she couldn't bring herself to move.

"Hey, Willow, no dozing off now," Xander softly reprimanded and Willow forced her eyes open, having not even realized that she'd closed them.

"Sorry, adrenaline rush is wearing off," Willow apologized hoarsely, coughing weakly. Jack let go of Willow's arm, satisfied that there were no bite marks.

"You hit your head pretty hard when he dropped you. I'd say that means you're going to have a nice stay in the infirmary," Jack told Willow, who groaned.

"Yay," she said slightly sarcastically but in fact she was pleased. Her head was hurting rather badly where she had hit it and Willow was beginning to feel the strain from being awake for over 25 hours straight. Even in Sunnydale, it was very rare for that to happen.

At the thought of sleeping, Willow found herself starting to drift off again and fought against it.

"That's it, kid, stay awake, just until Janet has had time to check you out. She's on her way down," Jack told her. Willow nodded in reply to that and Jack continued to rub her back soothingly. He was pretty sure Willow was concussed from the fall and Janet would kill him if Willow fell asleep before Janet had time to check her out and to confirm his theory.

Willow forced her eyes to open, focusing on Xander's face. The teenager smiled.

"Guess we really were being stupid when we thought we would get away from this stuff for good when we left Sunnydale, huh?" he asked, shifting so he was sitting beside Jack. Willow nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Xander had been blocking her sight of Tyson's body and the blood splatter on the wall but the view she now had made her stomach heave. Willow rolled away from Xander and off Jack's legs to the side, landing on her hands and knees before she retched and threw up the meager contents of her stomach. There wasn't much there, if Willow was honest. She hadn't eaten anything before they'd gone looking for the werewolf the previous evening and she and Daniel had skipped breakfast that morning in the rush to get to the SGC.

As if on cue, Janet bustled into her room, her eyes widening when she took in the scene... Willow heaving on her hands and knees, bringing up bile and little else, the body of the man who had, while transformed, caused the deep bruising to Xander's side that she had spent the night worrying about and Jack, kneeling beside Willow, rubbing her back, while Xander looked on, adding words of encouragement. She hurried over to Willow as the girl let Jack pull her back upright, obviously having finished purging her stomach of its contents. Willow leaned bonelessly against Jack's chest, her back to the body, her head resting on Jack's shoulder as she looked at Janet with slightly glazed eyes. Sam had called Janet the moment Tyson had been shot and filled the doctor in on what had happened, so Janet immediately got down to business and approached Willow.

"Hi, Doc," Jack greeted. "I've got to say, I'm glad you're here."

"How bad?" Janet asked, looking at the red marks on Willow's throat.

"I'm guessing concussion but I don't know for sure. Her breathing has got a lot better, though, but her voice is still really hoarse."

Janet nodded, agreeing with Jack's concussion theory, and begun to check Willow over. Willow said little, just nodding or shaking her head in response to Janet's queries. Finally, Janet leaned back from Willow. "Okay, let's get you on a stretcher and get you up to the infirmary," she said, signaling to two soldiers who had a stretcher to come into the room. Teal'c approached Jack and picked Willow up from the Colonel's arms and placed her gently on the stretcher. Willow focused on remaining sitting upright as Jack staggered to his feet, his knees troubling him after being on the floor so long. Thankfully, Sam and Xander were on hand to help steady him.

"Okay, let's get her to the infirmary," Janet ordered. Willow closed her eyes and decided laying down would be a good idea, as remaining upright was taking more energy than Willow could spare and if Willow was honest, the stretcher's movements weren't making her stomach feel any better.

At least, Willow thought as she curled on her side, everything fading quickly to black as she drifted to unconsciousness, she would feel better after sleep.

At least... she hoped she would.

BtVS/SG1

Jack sat beside Willow's bed, Xander in the chair on the other side of the bed. The teenager had fallen asleep and Janet, while checking Willow, had draped a blanket over him.

Willow had a concussion but it was not overly serious. Her throat would be bruised for a few days and Janet had recommended limiting how much Willow talked for a few days. Despite that, however, it seemed that no permanent damage had been done following Tyson Rodd's attack on Willow.

Jack knew that he would never forget the sight of Willow, dangling in the air as Rodd clutched at her throat, coming close to suffocating her and threatening to break Willow's slender neck. In fact, the last twenty four hours had been memorable. Willow and Xander had revealed the secret life they had led ever since their sophomore year of high school. They were soldiers in much the same way Jack was and it hurt, if Jack was honest, that Xander and Willow had both concealed the truth from him and that they had freely thrown away any choice they had of ever living a normal adolescence... a normal life, period, when they had chosen to fight the supernatural. It wasn't right, in Jack's book, for two teenagers to be put in the position of either fighting to save the world, or watching their classmates disappear one by one, knowing that they would never see them again... or if they did, they wouldn't still be their classmate but rather a blood-sucking monster instead.

Of course, Jack felt bad about Buffy, who apparently had no choice in the matter... it was her destiny to fight the vampires, werewolves and demons on a nightly basis. It was her destiny to die at the hand of a vampire, werewolf or demon, but Jack couldn't bring himself to think about that. It was Xander and Willow he was concerned about for the moment. It was Xander whose side had turned a remarkable shade of blue and purple with mottled yellow patches where the teenager had been bruised by being thrown and it was Willow who was lying in a bed in the SGC infirmary, unconscious and concussed, having just almost been choked to death.

"Do you have a minute, sir?" a quiet voice asked. Jack nodded, recognizing Sam's voice instantly. The major entered the room, her gaze wandering over the two teenagers before fixing on Jack.

"Jack..." she began. "I suspected something was off about them. If I had known it was so serious, I would have gone to you, I swear."

"I know, Carter. They've gone a long time keeping this secret from me... from everyone. Heck, I don't even think their other parents knew about this. It would have been a hard secret to keep... the injuries, the late hours, the fatigue... they got good at protecting it. I can't blame you for that. What tipped you off that was something wrong?"

"Their reactions to the truth about the Goa'uld, and the Stargate," Sam replied. "It wasn't normal. I expected them to be more scared about it or more surprised... but they were just curious. They weren't worried at all. I mean, can you imagine trying to tell the truth to any of Cassie's friends... after they'd gone through being kidnapped and tortured?"

Jack shuddered at the very thought. "Still, I suppose it wasn't that much of a stretch, really. Going from vampires and demons to aliens. If the supernatural exists, it's not a big thing to learn 'well, the extraterrestrial is real too' and be okay with it."

Sam nodded in agreement. "I suppose that's a good point. Still, it kind of explains how they fought back against Ba'al. Most people... even soldiers... would have given up but they fought."

Jack nodded but stayed silent. Reaching out, Sam put her hand on Jack's shoulder.

"I know Willow broke the rules last night with the gun and that you're upset because they didn't tell you about this before but Jack... You should be proud of them. If they were my kids, I would be very proud of how they've handled this whole thing. I am proud of them. They looked out for one another and they used the tools they had available to them. They've done the best job they could."

"I know," Jack said. "Thanks, Carter."

"No problem, sir." Sam turned and walked out of the room, leaving Jack alone to his thoughts.


	31. Chapter 31

It was late in the afternoon when Willow woke up of her own accord. She had been awoken by Janet routinely during the day so the doctor could check on Willow's concussion but once she had shown the doctor that everything was alright, Willow quickly fell asleep again. Janet wasn't concerned by Willow's sleepiness, saying it was probably more due to the fact that Willow had not slept the night before rather that the concussion. Jack had gone along with it, knowing that Janet knew far more about these sorts of things than he did.

Jack was alone at Willow's bedside when the young redhead began to stir as Xander had been escorted out of the infirmary by Teal'c, Sam, and Daniel at Janet's orders with the stern instructions not to return until he'd eaten something. Jack was confident that his team would take care of Xander and would make sure the teen ate his fill.

If he was honest with himself, Jack was glad he had a private moment at Willow's bedside. He'd been terrified when Tyson had grabbed Willow, who had selflessly put herself between Xander and danger, protecting the other teenager. Even now his stomach churned as he recalled how Willow had gasped for air, her feet dangling above the ground as Tyson slowly suffocated her.

Jack frowned as Willow gave a soft whimper and her hand twitched where it lay on top of the cover. He knew that he shouldn't have reacted as he did but his fear of losing one, or both of the teenagers, had overwhelmed him and he had reacted badly. He flinched as he remembered the hurt look on Willow's face from when he had scolded her, the look of dejection and shame that he had caught sight of before Willow had left his office, face downcast as she shuffled away from him, tired, alone and devastated by his banishment... his rejection of her.

Slowly, uncertainly, Jack reached out and took Willow's hand. Her skin felt smooth beneath his large hands and he tightened his grip reassuringly around Willow's slender fingers.

"It's alright, kid... I've got you. You're okay," he said softly. In response, Willow let out another soft whimper, her eyes cracking open.

"Hey there, Willow. You gave me a scare, you know that, kid? Between you and Xander, you're going to give me more gray hairs than Daniel has given me."

"Sorry," Willow croaked out, coughing as the effort of speaking irritated her bruised throat.

"Don't speak, Willow, it'll hurt too much. You don't have to apologize... just don't make a habit of this whole getting hurt thing, alright?"

"Is Xander okay?" Willow asked, her voice so soft that Jack almost didn't hear what she said. He nodded in reply to her question.

"The others took him to get some food in him. He hasn't left your side all day... since you were brought up here."

A brief smile crossed Willow's face. Cordelia had told her that Xander had been exactly the same when she'd been in the coma after Drusilla had attacked the library. Willow could not ask for a more caring, loyal friend than Xander.

"It must have taken a little convincing to get him to leave," she mused out loud and Jack chuckled.

"You got that right. I think it was Janet threatening to tie him down to a bed and poke him with needles if he didn't go that talked him around. I don't blame him... Janet's a little too keen on stabbing people with needles."

Willow gave a dry laugh at that, eyeing the IV port that Janet had obviously inserted into the back of Willow's left hand. Willow didn't mind needles but she knew that Xander wasn't a particularly big fan of them, especially since the drama involved in Buffy's stay in hospital when she'd come down with the flu. Obviously the fear of needles was a genetic trait Xander had inherited from Jack.

"How do you feel? You're the one that almost threw up on me this morning, after all," Jack asked, hoping that Willow figured out that he was only joking. Willow's cheeks went the same shade as her hair, remembering with a great deal of embarrassment the events of the morning.

"My throat hurts when I try to talk and if I try to breathe too deeply, and I feel really tired and drained," Willow told Jack, figuring it would be best if she was honest. Jack nodded. Janet had told him what to expect when Willow woke up and everything matched up.

Jack glanced around the room, ensuring that they were alone. Willow appeared to be lucid enough... he hoped that she would remember this conversation later on. He didn't particularly want to repeat it.

"Listen, Willow... I want to apologize for how I was last night. I overreacted and I was unfair," he told her. Willow shook her head, dropping her gaze to her lap.

"No, you're right... I did the wrong thing. You have every reason to be angry with me. We didn't tell you the truth about what was going on... and I broke your number one rule, even though I know why it exists."

"Well, strictly speaking you didn't break rule one," Jack conceded. "It wasn't my gun you were touching, but the premise is the same. I know now that you and Xander have way more knowledge of weaponry than I ever imagined you would, but seeing you with the gun... it scared me."

Willow nodded in understanding, keeping her face downcast.

"I still don't get why you didn't go to us for help... I mean... you know that we fight aliens... is it so hard to imagine that we wouldn't believe in werewolves?"

Willow shrugged. "We're used to having to hide it... the truth, to try and protect the ones we care about. It didn't work," she said in her hoarse, scratchy voice that still somehow seemed to be thick with emotion. Jack felt his stomach clench uncomfortably, knowing in his gut that Willow was referring to the deaths of her parents and of Tony and Jessica Harris.

"Must have been hard to keep it a secret," Jack offered. Willow shrugged, knowing that it was time to come clean. She knew Jack was aware of Xander's abusive childhood. It only seemed fair that she spilled the beans about her absent parents.

"Not really... if I'm honest, my parents weren't around enough to notice... or care."

"What?" Jack asked, surprised by the calm, emotionless way Willow spoke. Thanks to Xander, he knew roughly how hard Willow's childhood had been, but to hear her be so casual and calm talking about it... it surprised Jack. He had expected more emotion from Willow as she talked about such a sensitive subject.

"Jack... my parents were in Sunnydale for, on average, two months of the year. The rest of the time, they were either attending conferences, presenting lectures at colleges, or on holiday somewhere," Willow told him, letting out a single cough once she'd finished to try to ease the discomfort of her throat. Wordlessly Jack passed her a glass of water, which Willow drank.

"Who stayed with you while they were away?' Jack asked. Willow actually let out a little huff of amusement.

"No one. When I was really little, my parents weren't away nearly as much and when they were gone, I had someone stay with me when I wasn't at school... but that stopped when I was about eight. I had meals given to me that I could just heat up in the microwave up until I was about twelve when my parents started going away for longer periods. By the time a finished at junior high, I was looking after myself for most of the year. Like I said... my parents weren't there to notice what time I came home... or the fact that I had blood... or slime or mud or something else all over me and my clothes. I had to call the neighbor if I wasn't going to be there, like if I was staying at a friend's house, but other than that I kind of just did whatever I wanted. My school grades were good, so my parents didn't really care."

Jack flinched, feeling like he'd been slapped in the face. On top of the news of how horrid Xander's upbringing had been, Willow's story had been hard to hear, especially from her own mouth and the acceptance in her voice, as if Willow thought it was perfectly normal... and acceptable that her parents had rarely been around.

Despite their respective childhoods, both Xander and Willow had fought against the odds to become the good people they had grown into being... willing to put their lives on the line to fight a threat that was bigger, faster, stronger and a lot nastier than they were. It also explained a lot... Willow's insecurities and her desperate desire to please him... the independent streak that Jack had observed Willow displaying and how Willow seemed to be constantly surprised by how much time Jack spent with her and Xander... and when he showed his affections for each of them, be it by a brief hug or a small gift or even just by smiling at them. Willow had, in all likelihood, grown up to be just as starved of love and attention as Xander had been, possibly even more so.

"I guess rules and having a responsible parent is a kind of new thing for me," Willow sheepishly admitted. "I'm not making excuses for my behavior but I just thought that since, well, you know about Tony Harris and Xander and everything and you were pushing the whole being open with one another, I thought I would tell you about my parents."

Jack nodded, tightening his grip on Willow's hand reassuringly. Willow glanced at him, and Jack could see the tears clinging to her eyelashes.

"Do you still miss them... even though they weren't always around?" Jack asked. Willow sniffed and her bottom lip quivered.

"Every day," she replied before she sobbed. Jack stretched his knee out before he shifted his weight from his chair to the side of Willow's bed. He began to rub Willow's back and she clung to him in response, hauling her weakened body upright so Jack could wrap her in an embrace. Willow sobbed against the material of Jack's uniform and he rubbed her back through the thin hospital gown Willow was wearing. Holding her close to him, Jack glanced down at the top of Willow's head, gently pressing a kiss to it and inhaling the fruity scent of Willow's shampoo.

"I've got you, Willow, and I am not going anywhere. I'm going to look after you, kid. I promise I'll always look after you."

Jack wasn't aware that he'd begun to rock until he realized that Willow's breathing had evened out, her sobs had quietened and that she had gone quite still. Jack carefully lowered Willow back down to the pillows, the sleeping teenager not even stirring as he tucked her in. Jack smiled as he slid off the edge of the bed, brushing a stray strand of red hair back from Willow's face.

"Sweet dreams, kid," Jack told her before planting a kiss on Willow's forehead... Just like he had used to do to Charlie when the little boy was sleeping. In her sleep Willow smiled and snuggled into the blankets before she fell back into a deep sleep. Jack found Willow's smile echoed on his own face and he had to concentrate in order to control it.

He did have an image to maintain after all.


	32. Chapter 32

Jack walked into Daniel's office, having been asked to join the rest of the team there when Daniel had dropped Xander off back at the infirmary after lunch. Willow was asleep again and Janet had promised to keep an eye on Xander (who had been devastated that he hadn't been there when his best friend had woken up and had resolved to not leave Willow's side until she woke up again).

Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were all sitting in the office, waiting for him.

"Willow asleep again?" Sam asked gently and Jack nodded in reply.

"Xander's decided to not leave her until she wakes up again, but Janet's going to keep an eye on him. What's up?"

"Everything... it's all happened very quickly," Sam explained, gesturing a little with her hands. Jack sighed and nodded, dropping into an empty chair. He honestly hadn't had time to really think about what Xander and Willow had revealed to them, in between being angry at Willow, worrying about Xander, dealing with their former guest in the interrogation room, and the attack on Willow.

"It is highly plausible," Daniel mused. "I mean, we did see the werewolf transform back into a person... and it was filmed on the security cameras as well."

"Seeing it once was enough for me," Jack shuddered. The transformation hadn't looked overly pleasant, even though the werewolf had slept through it (thanks to the tranquilizer darts Willow had shot it with).

"The Jaffa have legends about beings that are like these monsters Alexander Harris and Willow Rosenberg described," Teal'c said. "I always believed them to simply be children's stories... or lies conjured up by the Goa'uld... but now I find myself doubting this belief."

Daniel's eyes went wide at the idea of Jaffa bedtime stories and he looked at Teal'c hopefully.

"Don't even think about asking, Danny... We've kind of have a bigger issue at hand. Teal'c can tell you bedtime stories later."

Daniel pouted but said nothing, his disappointment obvious. Sam tapped a couple of keys on her laptop, which she had obviously fetched from her office.

"Sir... I've done a bit of searching through military records. According to it, this 'Watcher's council' the kids mentioned does exist but everything about on our database it is classified and I can't access it."

"Any reference to vampires or werewolves or demons on there?" Jack asked. Sam shook her head.

"Every time I get close, I hit a wall. It's like everything relating to the supernatural has been classified. Even using high clearance codes, I can't get in," Sam explained. Jack could tell that Sam was frustrated by her inability to get answers.

"So, what exactly does that mean?" Daniel asked.

"Probably that there is another group within the military specializing in the supernatural... like we work for the SGC. It might even work with this Watcher's Council that the kids mentioned. A kind of supernatural branch of the military, if you like. That's what I think, anyway."

"I'm actually inclined to agree with you," Sam admitted. "As much as I can't explain what we saw with the werewolf rationally... scientifically, the fact that there are files on the US Defense Force database that relate to... supernatural things but that can't be accessed on my level of clearance indicates that maybe there is something out there... on Earth, I mean."

"Great... something else to worry about," Daniel huffed. "If the Goa'uld weren't enough on their own, now there are all these supernatural things we're going to have to worry about."

"That's just the point, Daniel... we can't worry about them. We know nothing about them... how they work... which ones are dangerous and which ones are not," Sam began.

"How to kill them," Jack added.

"Using a normal bullet works against werewolves, doesn't it?' Daniel asked. Sam stiffened.

"I thought the myth was that it had to be a silver bullet."

"Not if they're in their human state. A normal bullet does the trick then, providing it's a kill shot... according to Xander," Jack reminded them.

"It would be safe to say, then, that our guest is almost certainly dead," Teal'c surmised. Jack nodded and Sam relaxed a little in her seat.

"I'm looking forward to talking to Xander and Willow about this whole thing more," Daniel commented. Jack shuddered in response to that, not liking the fact that the SGC was relying on his two teenagers as the only reliable source of information about the supernatural beings that they apparently shared Earth with.

"Let's just let them get over this first before we interrogate them," Sam suggested, seeing Jack's shudder. "I mean, we definitely should talk to them about what they know. It might be very useful to the SGC in case we come up against something... supernatural but we should wait until they're both out of the infirmary."

Daniel nodded in agreement. "Of course," he commented. "I hate to think how hard this has been for them. They've kept it a secret for so long and for it to come out like it did..." He faded off, leaving his sentence unfinished.

Jack knew what Daniel had left unsaid, and he felt guilt well up within him. He knew that he had overreacted at Willow firing the tranquilizer gun... although he understood why he had done it and he was pretty sure Willow knew why too. It was just like when the kids had been kidnapped by Ba'al and by extension had discovered the truth about what it was that Jack and his team did every day, only in reverse.. Now Jack and the rest of SG1 knew Xander and Willow's biggest secret and nothing could be done about it.

BtVS/SG1

Willow groaned as she regained consciousness, squinting her eyes against the lights of the infirmary. The first thing she saw was Xander, leaning forward anxiously in a chair at her bedside.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hey yourself," Willow replied. "How long have I been asleep for?"

"A couple of hours," Xander replied. "You woke up before when I wasn't here."

"I know. Jack was, though."

Xander cringed. "Listen... we can run away, you know. I know he said some really nasty things to you and he shouldn't have," he whispered. "We can run away... go back to Sunnydale, live in Angel's old mansion."

"Even though he's living there as well?" Willow asked, a small smirk breaking out on her face.

Xander sighed, having forgotten that the vampire was back from hell and that he was living in the mansion in question. "Okay, maybe not there," he pouted, "but we'll work something out. You shouldn't have to live with the man who said all that to you."

"Xander," Willow soothed. "I don't want to leave. Jack apologized and I did do the wrong thing. We talked when I first woke up. We're good. I mean, yeah, there are still issues between us, but... but I think we'll get over that. Besides... can you honestly say, disregarding what happened to me, that you want to leave Jack?"

Xander hesitated, thinking about it. "No," he finally conceded. "I like it here...it's just..."

Willow shook her head. "It's in the past, water under the bridge. I'm over it and maybe, one day, Jack will be too."

"Alright," Xander relented, knowing that he needed to drop the subject. "So, onto the next thing we need to talk about. Why did you get between Tyson and me? He almost killed you. If Jack hadn't been there, you would have been killed... or turned into a werewolf."

Willow shrugged. "Jack's already lost one son... he didn't need to go through the pain of losing another. I've seen how much he cares about you, Xander... losing you like that would have destroyed him."

"Losing you would have hurt him too," Xander retorted, dimly realizing that they had somehow switched arguments with the change of conversation.

Willow quirked her eyebrow in a manner similar to Teal'c. "Xander," she began. "Don't even begin to think that Jack loves us equally. He might like me and kind of think of me as a kind of daughter figure but I'm not an O'Neill. I never have been and unless I marry you, I never will be. I'm not Jack's biological daughter but you are his biological son and that means more to anyone than the papers Jack signed when he took me in, agreeing to look after me. The only chance I had of having a parent that cared about me like Jack cares about you died with Ira and Sheila Rosenberg."

"That doesn't mean that he doesn't love you and care about you, you know, Willow," Xander replied.

Willow nodded. "I know that and I know that Jack does care about me and he might even love me. But the point is, he cares about you and loves you more... and nothing I say or do or you say and do is going to stop that."

Xander went to reply, arguing the issue, but the words died on his lips when he was the Resolve Face Willow was directing at him. It was then he knew that he was beaten... but he resolved that the argument wasn't over... but for the moment he would let it slide.

"Onto other pressing issues, then?" he proposed.

"What Tyson said about the Mayor having a bounty out on Buffy's head?"

"Exactly. We have to warn her. Obviously something big is going down in Sunnydale, or is about to, and the Mayor is behind it."

"Do you think she and Giles already know?" Willow asked, coughing slightly. Xander shrugged.

"Possibly... but we should tell them."

"Of course," Willow agreed, "except that Jack and everyone else heard about it too, though."

"Which brings up another problematic issue," Xander said with a wince

"How screwed we are with Giles and Buffy?" Willow asked with a grimace.

Xander nodded. "Yep. We blew it... big time."

"Buffy's going to be so mad... and Giles is going to be so disappointed in both of us. It was never our secret to tell and we blurted the whole thing out... not to mention Oz."

"If something happens to them because of this, I'm never going to forgive myself. We've been coming up with cover stories for years... you would think we would have an explanation up our sleeve just in case we got caught, but no... We got stuck and we blew our cover," Xander said, frustrated at himself.

Willow nodded, angry at herself too. Admittedly, the cover stories for supernatural things back in Sunnydale had really just written themselves, especially the big things, but they had all lied to cover something up at some point... even if it was just to pass a late night research or slayage session as a sleepover.

"If we ever see any of them again I'm not going to be able to look at them in the face," Willow admitted. "Especially Oz... I can't believe I blurted out his whole story. What happens if some military organization finds out and traps Oz and does horrible experiments on him? It'll be all my fault..." Willow sniffed, a few tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Maybe they'll be able to keep it secret. I mean, they keep the alien thing secret," Xander suggested.

"Jack shot a civilian, Xander," Willow reminded Xander. "There would have to be a lot of paperwork involved in that and a lot of detailed reports. They're going to have to include pretty much everything that happened and everything that was said."

Xander cringed. He hadn't thought of all the reports Jack and General Hammond would have to fill out in relation to this whole incident.

"Do you think anything will happen because of it?" Xander asked. Willow paused, thinking deeply

"I don't know," she admitted. "Ever since we found out about the Stargate and all that, I've kind of wondered if the military does know. I mean... some of the things we've done have been kind of... obvious and I know that Sunnydale Syndrome exists, but really. The military knows that aliens exist. Surely that would open their eyes a little to what's happening in front of their own faces. Giles once told me that the Watcher's Council has contacts within the government... as in the US government, and you would have to think one of those contacts would be in the military."

"That would make sense," Xander admitted, remembering how nothing had ever happened in response to his stealing of the rocket launcher to destroy the Judge. It was as if it never happened and a potential explanation could be that Giles called up the Watcher's Council and told them about what happened. The Watcher's Council then got into contact with the US government and any investigation into the missing rocket launcher was dropped.

"Er," Xander said as he continued to think about that incident. "Perhaps we shouldn't mention that thing with the Judge to Jack, though. I think it might, er, overreact again to that."

Willow rapidly nodded. "Good point," she agreed. Jack had been sensitive about her handling and using a tranquilizer gun. He might be a little oversensitive about Xander initiating a plot to steal a rocket launcher from a secure military base and then executing said plan. While Xander hadn't been the one who had fired the weapon, Jack didn't need to know about his son's involvement in the theft.

The pair fell into a silence, both of them thinking about what had transpired in the last few days.

"Do you think things will go back to normal now... you know, we'll actually be able to go to school and not have to worry about the supernatural... or aliens or anything? Do you think we'll ever have a quiet life?" Xander mused aloud. Willow looked over at Xander and their eyes met.

"No," they said in unison, agreeing that, for better or for worse, they would never have lives that could be considered to be normal.

And if they were honest with themselves, it was exactly how they wanted it.

**A.N. I actually seriously considered ending this story off here, but then I thought about it, and decided that there was still more I could explore dealing with the aftermath of what has happened. This story, however, is drawing to a close, although I do plan on doing a sequel, which will take place when Willow and Xander are older. It might be awhile away, as when i finish this story I have another couple of Stagate ideas I want to explore, and there is one i have already started to write.**

**Thanks to everyone who has been providing feedback. I really appreciate your input and encouragement, and I am pleased that so many of you are enjoying this story so far.**

**More will be up soon**

**R.W.**


	33. Chapter 33

Xander nervously wriggled as he sat in Jack's large office chair, the phone pressed to his ear. Upon Jack's return to the infirmary, Xander had asked if it would be okay if he used a phone. Jack had been curious about the reason. But Xander had merely given Jack a pointed look and mumbled something about calling in and reporting the incident. Jack caught on, obviously realizing that it had something to do with what Tyson Rodd had said about a bounty. At the time, it had made the Colonel's ears prick up... surely it hadn't been the petite blonde who had come to Colorado Springs for Willow's birthday that had the bounty on her head, although Jack was certain that there was more to the blonde that met the eye. Something about Buffy being called a Slayer had been mentioned by the kids during their explanation... but if he was honest with himself Jack had missed a lot of what was said, still trying to interpret everything that was being said.

Still, knowing it was important; Jack had given permission for Xander to use his phone, accompanied by Daniel while Jack, along with Sam and Teal'c, stayed with Willow, who had fallen asleep.

"C'mon, Giles, pick up," Xander muttered as the phone on the other end rang. Eventually, a clipped English voice answered.

"Sunnydale High School Library, this is Rupert Giles speaking."

"Giles, it's Xander."

"Xander, what is wrong? Is everything alright?"

"Er, not really. We've got a problem."

"Oh?"

"Yeah... Willow and I found out this morning that the Mayor has a bounty out in the supernatural world for Buffy's head on a platter."

"Xander... that is a serious claim. How did you find out?"

"We, er, got told by someone who planned to make the attempt. A werewolf, Tyson Rodd."

"Damn," Giles muttered. "I must admit, we've had some suspicions about his motives for some weeks now. Do you know anything more about this?"

"No... just that the Mayor wants Buffy dead... and it's possible there would be money out on Willow's head too. Maybe mine as well. Because of the Angelus soul thing," Xander explained.

"And why were you talking to a werewolf? I was under the impression you and Willow were lying low."

"He was killing people, Giles. Two people, dead over two nights. On the third night of the full moon, Willow and I went looking for him and, well, he found us. Willow shot him with the tranquilizer gun and we questioned him when he woke up."

"That was rather dangerous, Xander," Giles chided. Xander coughed.

"Yeah... that brings up the other problem we have."

"Go on," Giles sighed and Xander knew the Watcher was pinching his nose.

"My dad and his team saw Willow tranquilize Rodd. They asked us and we kind of... said more than we should have. They were there when we questioned him too... which was kind of a good thing, since Rodd got Willow by the neck. Jack shot Rodd in the head when he dropped Willow after she kicked him in the groin."

"Good Lord, is she alright?"

"Yeah, they think she's going to be fine. Just a concussion and a few bruises."

"Well, that is a relief." Giles smiled.

"What should we do about Jack and the others knowing?"

"I will consult the Watcher's Council. It is likely that, given that Jack and his team are military, they will be told about what is going on. I understand that there is an open agreement between the Watcher's Council and the President about this kind of thing."

"Okay... so we don't say anymore."

"It sounds as if enough has been said already."

"Giles, Jack and the others know about Oz as well... so maybe you should tell him too. Willow's really upset about it all. I am too. They weren't our secrets to spill, but I looked at Jack and I couldn't bring myself to hide anything more from him. He was so mad at us, especially Willow. Jack has a thing about kids handling guns."

"I know, Xander. You wouldn't have said anything that you didn't think was necessary. I'll make the appropriate arrangements and thank you for the warning about the Mayor. You and Willow look after yourselves. Your lives are still in danger, you know."

"I know, Giles, thanks. See you later."

"Goodbye," Giles said from the other end as Xander hung up, tilting his head back and looking up at the ceiling of Jack's office. He had always known about the connection between the Watcher's Council and the President. Giles had told him, Willow and Buffy about it when they were plotting to use the rocket launcher, so it had been no surprise that President Hayes would get caught up in the drama.

"Everything okay, Xander?" Daniel asked from where he sat on the other side of Jack's desk. Xander nodded and got to his feet.

"Let's go back to the infirmary," Xander said. Daniel nodded and they pair walked out of the room, locking it securely behind them.

BtVS/SG1

"Ah, SG1, come on in," Hammond said when he saw Jack and his team at his open door. Jack nodded and led his team inside, closing the door behind him.

"You wanted to see us, Sir?" Sam asked as she approached the General's desk. George Hammond nodded and gestured for the team to sit down at the desk opposite him (having brought additional chairs in for the occasion).

"Xander's friends work quickly, it seems. Less than an hour after he called, alerting this man, Giles, of what has been happening, I get a phone call from the President and a few very interesting copies of files from an organization known as the Watcher's Council," Hammond told them, tapping the files in question on his desk.

'The President is aware of all this?" Sam asked.

Hammond nodded. "He asked me to pass on his thanks to Xander and Willow for helping to save lives, both here in Colorado Springs and before now, when they lived in Sunnydale.

"Impressive. To have achieved recognition from the President of the United States before your eighteenth birthday," Daniel commented.

"What's in the files, General?" Jack asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Hammond let out a heavy sigh.

"It... It contains information about Willow and Xander's extracurricular activities prior to coming to Sunnydale. Some parts are still classified but the President and the Watcher's Council have cleared the information that is left. There is enough information about Willow and Xander in this file that tells me that... that they've lived through things that most people three times their age have never experienced."

Jack leaned forward and Hammond handed over the files. Jack handed them out, happy to share the information with the rest of his team. They were the people he trusted most in the world and he knew that they might be able to offer insight on the information within, although none of the other members of SG1 had experience with the supernatural, outside of their work at the SGC.

As each member of the team finished reading a file, they'd swap it for another one. George sat back patiently, waiting for the team to be finished. Because of the sensitive nature of the files, they could not be removed from his office and would have to be destroyed once SG1, and probably Janet as well, had finished them. Hammond sighed as he spotted a vein pulsing in Jack's head and he noticed the way that Sam was biting her lip, a bad habit from her youth that Hammond knew was a telltale sign the major was getting angry or upset about something.

Daniel's eyes were a blur beneath his glasses as he quickly devoured the information presented to him. To anyone else, the information would have been impossible to believe but ever since he had joined the SGC, Daniel had learned that impossible just did not exist. Even so, some of the information within the files made his eyebrow rise in shock.

Xander had preformed life saving CPR on one of his best friends after she was drowned?

Willow had dressed as a ghost the last Halloween she had spent in Sunnydale and when everyone had become their costumes, she had effectively died and become a ghost herself?

Both of the teenagers were credited with staking numerous vampires?

Daniel put the file he was reading down, amazed at the things that they had done in the eighteen months they had been actively participating in slaying. He was not the only one thinking along the same lines. From the moment Teal'c had seen Willow and Xander in the park, taking on the werewolf, he had instinctively known that they were experienced fighters... more experienced than a lifetime of self-defense classes could make them. They both obviously had real combat experience. It was apparent in the way they had both fought and moved that the teenagers were seasoned warriors. The information in the files simply supported what Teal'c had already known.

Sam too had figured out that Xander and Willow had seen a lot of violence but she had never expected the situations they had been placed in to be so dangerous or to have such an impact. Willow and Xander had already, at the age of seventeen, saved the world twice from destruction, not to mention however many monsters they had helped to defeat before the monster in question moved on to bigger things... like ending the world.

"Are you okay, Colonel?" Sam asked, concern for her commanding officer written across her face.

Jack nodded, a strained look on his face. Ever since Xander and Willow had revealed their secrets, he had know that their childhoods had been far from peaceful, even without the abuse they had both experienced at the hands of their parents... but the files, the reports that he had now read, had shown him how much danger Willow and Xander had been in. Jack had gone very close to losing them both before he'd even had a chance to meet them. Hell, Willow had already died once, although it was only temporary, and Willow came back to life when the spell she was under had been broken. He shuddered at the mental image that flashed into his mind, Willow's dead body sprawled out on someone's front lawn, her ghostly figure standing over it, transparent and floating just off the ground.

"I'm going to go and check on them," he told the others, who nodded, none of them able to comprehend what Jack was going through in the aftermath of what they had all learned in the last few short days.

BtVS/SG1

Despite everything that had happened over the last few days, Jack found himself smiling as he walked into the infirmary. Willow and Xander were both asleep again. Willow was lying on her side, facing the chair Xander was sitting in, while Xander was covered in a blanket, curled up in the chair, his legs curled up in a position that didn't look very comfortable but obviously was. In their sleep, Xander and Willow were holding hands with Xander clasping Willow's hand as it lay on the bed in front of her.

Jack shook his head as he remembered what had happened in the interrogation room, how Xander and Willow had been calmly talking to Tyson, as if they had done this many times, until the werewolf had become aggressive and turned on them. It was then that Jack remembered how Willow had moved across in front of Xander the moment Tyson started becoming aggressive and Jack and the teenagers lost control of the situation (although Jack was beginning to question if Tyson had played them all along and they had never really been in command of the situation).

Jack hadn't even noticed Willow's gesture when it first happened, although he had seen it on a replay of the incident when he watched security tape. He hadn't thought much about it at the time – he'd been distracted by the sight of Willow being strangled right in front of him, reliving one of the worse moments of his life.

Now, though, Jack was free to dwell on that moment and his gut churned. Willow had moved to protect Xander. It might have been something completely innocent but Jack knew that the gesture had a deeper meaning behind it. Willow had put herself in harm's way in order to protect Xander. She had effectively sacrificed herself to increase the chances of Xander getting out alive.

Jack's stomach churned as he wondered what had been going through Willow's mind at that moment. He realized, no matter how much Willow pretended otherwise, what sort of damage he had done, both to his relationship with Willow and the friendship between the two teenagers, Willow obviously now thought that her life wasn't worth as much as Xander's and it was Jack's fault.

Jack wasn't sure if Willow had always thought this, or if it was new development stemming from his tirade at her, but either way he knew that he had to do something about it...starting from now.

Slowly, hesitantly, Jack approached the sleeping teens, a tear rolling down his cheek as he looked at Willow's pale face. Jack couldn't help but notice how disturbingly young Willow looked as she lay, sleeping, in the hospital bed. Considering everything the pair had been through, it was easy to forget how young they were...but now, as they slept, it was painfully obvious to Jack how young, and innocent, they were.

"I'm so sorry, Willow," he told her, gently brushing a strand of long red hair back off her face. "I'm so sorry about everything."

**A.N. Ok, I know what you're probably thinking...that Jack's kind of been neglecting Xander a bit, but the way I see it, Xander is more confident about his relationship with Jack, and they all know that. Don't worry though; there will be some Xander and Jack bonding time in the next few chapters.**

**Speaking of the next few chapters, it is now the final few chapters for Second Chance. There will be two more chapters, and then an epilogue. There will, however, be a sequel down the track (I hope), featuring a slightly older Xander and Willow**

**Thanks to everyone how has been giving feedback, i am glad that so many of you are enjoying this story.**

**The next update will be up in two weeks,**

**R.W. **


	34. Chapter 34

Sam, Daniel and Teal'c all knew Jack well enough to know when he wanted to be alone, so they all kept a respectful distance from the infirmary. None of them complained, however; all of them wanting their own space so that they could process everything that had happened in the last few hours.

Sam shut herself up in her lab, alone with her computer and other technological bits and pieces that she had taken from other planets to study. She had planned on examining a small device that another team had found that, according to the residents of the planet they lived on, supposedly stopped children from getting lost by indicating the way back to another device that could be kept at the home but after five minutes of trying to focus, she gave up, leaning back in her chair. All she could think about was Xander and Willow... the moment that Tyson Rodd, while still transformed, had lunged at Xander, intent on ripping the teenager's body apart, the helpless look on Willow's face as she tried to breathe as the werewolf had held her up by her throat, the guilty looks the two teenagers had given one another as they tried to explain what was going on. A week ago, Sam would never have believed the two teens but now that she had seen what Tyson had been capable of and she had watched as the wolf had transformed back into a man, she realized that humans were not the only ones living on earth... and that was before she had read all the files Hammond had shown SG1.

Sam's thoughts turned to Tyson Rodd, whose body now lay in an isolation room. General Hammond had explained the situation to the president and Sam knew that Tyson's death would be covered up. A background check had been done and it appeared that Rodd had no family and no friends. He lived out of a motor home that had been found parked on the street not far from the park where Xander and Willow had been attacked. It saddened Sam to think of how lonely the man must have been but then she thought of the cold way he had addressed Colonel O'Neill, Xander and Willow and how he had boasted of his plans to murder Willow and Xander's friend. Slayer or not, Buffy was still just a teenage girl that had her whole life in front of her and who was only in her final year of high school. She didn't need crazed, psychotic werewolves after her, although it sounded like someone had put a bounty on Buffy's head. Jack had told her that Xander had called up Buffy's Watcher and told him about what Xander and Willow had learned. Hopefully, the warning would be enough to prevent something bad happening to the teenager. Still, at least now the SGC was aware of what was happening in Sunnydale, they could provide assistance, if it was ever needed.

BtVS/SG1

Like Sam, Daniel had retreated to his own office, where he dwelled on what he had learned. It angered him that, all along, there had been a military base in Sunnydale but instead of actually doing anything to save the lives of people living there, such as Xander's mother, Willow's parents and Xander and Willow's friend… Instead, they seemed to be more focused on doing experiments on the demons and vampires they captured, leaving the job of saving lives and preventing the end of the world to a group of teenagers who shouldn't have to worry about coming home to find their parents' bodies drained of blood on the living room floor.

Daniel shuddered as he thought about the guilt the two teenagers would carry for the deaths of their parents, on top of the pain that came with losing your parents (which Daniel knew quite a lot about).

Still, upon reflection, Daniel realized that he should have known that humans were not alone on the planet. Almost every culture in the world had stories about monsters. While they were all slightly different, there were too many similarities between the tales to be coincidental. All of those stories... the myths and legends that Daniel had studied extensively were based on fact, on real demons and monsters and it frustrated Daniel that he had never noticed it before now.

Still, Willow had promised to lend him some of the books she had about the supernatural, so Daniel was bound to learn more about what the two teenagers had faced in their life prior to their arrival in Colorado Springs. From what he had read in the files, it sounded like Xander and Willow had fought hard to prevent the needless deaths of the people of Sunnydale and of the wider world and the pair had never given up, regardless of what the odds of survival were.

Not dissimilar to SG1, if Daniel thought about it.

BtVS/SG1

Teal'c sat quietly in his room at the SGC. He had lit his candles, intending to kel'no'reem, but he had found himself unable to focus on his meditation. His mind was filled with what he had learned about Earth and its nonhuman inhabitants. Willow and Xander and their friends had been fighting as warriors in a battle that they were not equipped for... and yet they had fought bravely and had protected the lives of the people of Sunnydale… and indeed the rest of the planet. Warriors of such bravery were few and far between and Teal'c felt proud of the pair and what they had accomplished. He knew that, despite everything that had happened, Jack O'Neill was proud of them as well.

Thinking of Willow and Xander made Teal'c think about Rya'c. Teal'c missed his son deeply, although he knew that he belonged on Earth with the SGC. One day, potentially, Teal'c hoped that Rya'c would meet Xander and Willow. Rya'c was learning to be a great warrior, after all, and Xander and Willow were on a similar path. It was unlikely, as Willow and Xander were not part of the SGC, and it would be many years before they were.

Teal'c privately believed that Xander and Willow were destined to join the SGC in some capacity. They had combat experience, they knew about the Stargate, and they were used to things that weren't exactly normal. From what Daniel had told him, Teal'c knew that Willow was good at languages and that she was also gifted with using computers. Xander too had skills and knowledge that would prove beneficial for the teen should he decide to join the SGC.

Despite this, however, Teal'c knew that the SGC's work was highly dangerous and that there was a risk of something happening to either of the teens should they choose to join the SGC at some point and Teal'c didn't want that to happen. They had grown on him and Teal'c didn't just regard them as friends but as family, not merely because of the relationship with Colonel O'Neill... but in their own right.

BtVS/SG1

Predictably Jack knew that his team had decided to keep a respectful distance from him but he was grateful for the opportunity to spend time alone to try and comprehend everything that he had learned and seen over the last few days. Trusting that Xander and Willow were safe in Janet's capable hands, Jack had retreated to his own office and locked the door so he could sit and think in private.

Jack knew he should have expected for something to be off about Xander and Willow's past. The way they had interacted with him, especially after the kidnapping, had indicated strongly that they were hiding something but he hadn't expected this. It was big for Jack to learn that Willow and Xander had faced the odds, faced down creatures that only existed in scary stories, for over a year, surviving thanks to their own wits and the strength and support of their friends, not to mention a little luck.

If Jack was honest with himself, he had been scared by what he'd found out and what it meant for Xander and Willow. They almost definitely had targets on their back due to their connection with Buffy and there wasn't much Jack could do to protect them. He could of course impose a curfew on them but Jack knew that doing so would only make things worse between them. Things were already strained between him and the two teenagers... he didn't want to add fuel to the fire.

Thinking about the tension between himself and Xander and Willow made Jack think about the other discovery of the last few days: the one about Willow's self-sacrificing ways. Jack hadn't realized how deep the damage he had inflicted on Willow ran until he'd noticed the way Willow had stepped in front of Xander when he had reviewed the video recording of the attack, trying to protect him. The image of Willow, calmly stepping in front of his son, as if it was the most natural thing for her to do, would be permanently etched in Jack's memory.

Jack was aware of the fact that Xander knew what Willow had done too, which had made it worse. The resentful look that Xander had sent towards Jack had cut the Colonel deeply, not that he would admit to it. Given time, Jack hoped things would ease but he wasn't foolish enough to think that he would ever be truly forgiven for how he had treated Willow... how he had broken her, despite promising to himself when he took her in that he would do anything he could to protect her.

Wearily rubbing his hands over his face, Jack leaned back in his comfortable office chair, wondering what on earth was going to happen next.

After all... something was always just around the corner

BtVS/SG1

Janet sat in her office, absentmindedly filling out some paperwork. Things were quiet in the SGC infirmary... for the moment. With the exception of Xander and Willow, there were no long-term patients... only the teams coming and going for their usual post-mission check-over. Still, Janet wasn't going to jinx it by commenting on it. She was keeping her mouth firmly shut on the issue.

Putting down her pen, Janet looked at the finished paperwork before putting it into a desk drawer. She rubbed her hands over her face wearily. It had been a long couple of days and she was looking forward to going home and getting to sleep in her own bed.

Of course going home would bring up a whole new thing. What on earth was she going to tell Cassie about Xander and Willow? They were both going to miss at least a few days of school, possibly even a full week, and Cassie was bound to ask questions. Janet didn't know what to tell the girl. Willow and Xander knew the truth about Cassie, so in all fairness Cassie should be told about the truth behind Xander and Willow, but then Janet wasn't sure that it was her secret to tell. She'd seen how upset Xander and Willow had been that they'd been forced to tell Jack and General Hammond and the rest of SG1 the truth.

BtVS/SG1

Xander huddled a little under the blanket that someone – he was willing to bet Janet – had draped over him, and watched as Willow slept. He was tired but he couldn't bring himself to sleep. He'd always had trouble sleeping when he knew Willow was injured... he hadn't slept at all when she'd been in the coma the previous summer. Now was the same, even though Janet had reassured him repetitively that Willow would be fine. Xander trusted Janet, she reminded him strongly of Mrs. Summers, but Xander knew that he wouldn't be able to relax fully until he and Willow were safely back at home.

Or rather, Jack's house.

Xander let out a sigh, wincing as the deep breath made his side hurt, as he thought of his father. He knew that Jack had only said when he did because he was upset, scared, and confused. Both he and Willow knew that they possibly could have gone about their hunt differently but the habit of keeping the supernatural a secret had been too ingrained to make them even contemplate going to Jack and the SGC. Xander accepted that he had made a mistake... they all had.

Still, Xander couldn't stop himself for resenting Jack for the damage done to Willow's self-esteem during that tirade. Xander had watched as, since they had moved to Colorado Springs, Willow's confidence had begun to build as she'd become more comfortable with Jack and his friends. It was still too early to determine how much of that progress had been wiped out but Xander hoped, more than anything, that Willow and Jack would be able to mend the bridge and continue to get along.

Xander would never admit to it but ever since he had come to Colorado Springs, for the first time in his life, he had felt like he belonged to a family. Jack, Willow and him. Sure, it wasn't what anybody would call normal and Xander was pretty sure there was a picture of the three of them in the dictionary next to the word 'dysfunctional' but it was still a family... and along with Sam and Cassie and Daniel and Teal'c and Janet, it was one of the best things Xander had ever experienced in his entire life.

Normal was overrated, anyway.

**A.N. Okay, so one more chapter left, and then the epilogue, which will lead into the new story. I haven't started writing it yet, and i don't think it's going to be very long, but I do plan on writing it...when my muse allows me the inspiration, and real life allows me the time.**

**Thanks to everyone has read and supported this story. For those of you that complained that i was focusing too much on Willow...my apologies. I am a Willow writer. I've now switched this to a Willow centred story to reflect the way that this story has gone. Honestly, at the start, i was going to try and focus on Xander. I see that I didn't quite achieve that goal. Oh well, at least most of you are enjoying it.**

**More will be up soon...although it might take longer than usual, as I've got a lot of other stuff coming up.**

**R.W. **


	35. Chapter 35

Willow laughed at something Xander said as she got out of Xander's car, a present he had received for his eighteenth birthday, and walked over to the mailbox. She opened it up, smiling when she spotted the small pile of mail sitting there, waiting for her.

College acceptance letters were being sent out and Jack had made a habit of teasingly asking Willow how many colleges she'd been accepted into every day when he got back from the SGC. Willow would blush and tell him and he would laugh but behind the humor Willow could see how proud Jack was of her.

It had taken some time but Willow knew with some confidence now that Jack cared about her... that he loved her as if she was his own daughter. It might have had something to do with what had happened the day of homecoming. Willow had, much to her surprise, been asked out by one of the boys in her history class, a tall, musclebound boy known as Jimmy, and she had accepted, reminding herself about Buffy's words from the first day they met... "Seize the day." Willow did, after all, know for a fact that Jimmy was not a vampire. Willow hadn't twigged anything was going on until they'd been heading home from homecoming, having had a rather enjoyable evening, and instead of dropping her of at home, she'd been taken to a lookout. Willow had asked Jimmy to take her home and he had laughed, taking a swig from a flask, before he'd grabbed her face and roughly kissed her. Willow had tasted the alcohol on her breath and had panicked.

Things had progressed downhill from there until Willow had been pinned by Jimmy's weight, his pants undone. There was little doubt, in Willow's mind, what he wanted to do, so she'd used the self-defense knowledge she had built up from Jack, Sam, Teal'c and Xander, as well as her lessons. Finally free of Jimmy's hands, which were rather preoccupied with cupping his face, which Willow had punched rather hard, and his groin, which Willow had kicked with her heeled shoe, Willow had escaped from the car and run.

It had taken her a good hour to get home, by which point Jack had already raised the alarm (since Xander had already been home for a while and he had told Jack that Willow had left before him). Willow had burst through the door, her cheek already showing the hint of a bruise from when Jimmy had lashed out at her during their struggle.

Willow, physically and emotionally exhausted, had run to Jack and collapsed into his arms, sobbing, desperate to be held and to be protected. Jack, for his part, had done exactly what Willow wanted, holding her close, rubbing her back, and muttering reassurance to her under his breath while Xander, Cassie and the rest of SG1, including Janet, watched on, relieved that Willow was alright but at the same time horrified by what had almost happened.

Ultimately Jimmy had been expelled from school and the last any of them had heard, he and his family had moved away from Colorado Springs and were making a fresh start elsewhere but it had been that moment when Jack had proven himself to Willow that their relationship had been restored and strengthened.

Things between Xander and Jack too had improved with the passing of time. Jack had spent a lot of time with Xander, bonding over things they had in common and generally trying to find as much out about his son as he could without encroaching on the teenager's privacy. At least once a month, Xander and Jack went to watch ice hockey together and at least once a week, usually when Willow was studying with the coven members Giles had linked her up with, they would do something together, even if it was just watching TV or talking about their shared interests.

Willow couldn't have been happier with how things were going. She hated being the cause of tension between Xander and Jack. After so many years with Tony Harris as his father figure, she figured that Xander deserved to have someone like Jack in his life to talk to.

Xander approached the front door as Willow retrieved the stack of mail from the mailbox and lowered the lid before carrying the letters and her school bag into the house. Xander dropped his school bag beside the door and flopped down wearily on the couch so that he was stretched out on it. Xander had gotten up early for a run and he was feeling the strain. Willow snorted in amusement before she put down her own school bag and pushed Xander's feet off the couch, sitting down where Xander's feet had been. Xander looked at her and moaned pitifully. Willow rolled her eyes and grabbed the bottoms of Xander's pants, lifting Xander's feet back into her lap.

"Thank you, Willow," Xander smiled. Willow shook her head, unable to hide the smile that had spread across her features at Xander's antics, before she began to look through the mail they had received that day. An electricity bill and a telephone bill for Jack, a letter for her, and a letter for Xander. Willow put the bills to one side before she glanced at the logo on the envelope to see who was writing to her. Willow froze, her green eyes widening. At the opposite end of the couch, Xander frowned at the look on Willow's face before he called her name. Willow didn't respond, so he heaved himself upright and poked her in the arm. Willow jumped.

"Xander," she chided, "don't do that."

"Well… you spaced out on me," Xander protested. Willow wordlessly showed him the envelope addressed to him and Xander's eyes widened... almost comically reflecting Willow's own shocked expression.

"Oh," Xander said in understanding.

Willow nodded. "Yeah... oh... exactly."

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Gee... I don't know, Xander... why else would the US Air Force be writing to us?" Willow rolled her eyes, her voice thick with sarcasm. Sarcasm was something she had learned to use quite well, thanks to living with Jack.

"Maybe they're doing a survey on military brats like us... or something?" Xander offered tentatively before catching the pointed look Willow was sending towards him.

"Yeah... it was a long shot," Xander admitted, taking the envelope from Willow. It had started off as a joke with Cassie... that they would apply to go to the Air Force Academy when they finished school and ultimately all end up working together at the SGC, but then time had passed and they had all found themselves filling out application forms for the Air Force Academy... suddenly serious about enlisting. Xander knew their chances of all ending up at the SGC were slim to none, but then the Air Force still seemed to be a great place to work for, in Xander's opinion. It certainly wouldn't have many boring moments, and would provide a far from ordinary life. Willow and Xander had both agreed at the time that after everything they had lived through and seen ever since they had discovered the truth about the supernatural, there was no way either of them would be able to have a normal nine-to-five job and not be involved in some way in protecting the lives of innocents... no matter how much Jack privately wished that they would... for his own peace of mind.

Shall... shall we do this?" Xander cleared his throat nervously. Willow nodded, sliding her thumb underneath the flap of the envelope as Xander did the same.

"One," Willow began.

"Two," Xander continued.

"Three," they said in unison, opening the envelopes together. Willow glanced up at Xander before they looked down at the letters in their laps, reading the information printed there as quickly as they could. Willow reached the end of the page first and took a few deep, steadying breaths before she looked up at Xander, who appeared to be doing the same.

"You?" Willow asked, her voice sounding oddly strained. Xander looked up at her and then gave a small nod.

"You?" His voice cracked at the single word. Willow too gave a single nod, a smile breaking out slowly on her face. Xander leaned forward and they hugged each other tightly.

"I... I can't believe it... we both got in," Willow said in a soft, choked-up voice. Xander nodded against his best friend's shoulder, not needing to look to know that there were tears of joy sliding down Willow's cheeks.

"We can't say anything to Jack... not until we know if Cassie got in or not," Xander decided and Willow nodded in agreement. She and Cassie were good friends, perhaps not quite as close and Willow and Buffy had been but still close. Willow's mouth went dry at the prospect of Cassie not getting into the Air Force. She certainly had the grades for it but Willow knew it would shatter her friend if she didn't get in. Cassie had once confided in her that her dream, ever since her arrival at the SGC, was to become a field medic in the Air Force and then later work at a base, like Janet had done throughout her career. Willow thought that Cassie would make an excellent field medic... and if she was ever hurt, she would want Cassie to be there helping to look after her... even though Willow conceded that it would be very selfish of her. Willow couldn't even begin to imagine how hard it would be to look after a close friend in a medical sense... especially if the wounds were severe.

"What about we wait until Jack's birthday... it's only next week and we can try and make sure that if she gets in, Cass makes sure Janet doesn't tell Jack or any of the others in SG1?" Willow suggested. Xander nodded in agreement to the idea.

"He'll get a kick out of it... the only potential problem is that he might not want us involved in the Air Force."

"Good point," Willow conceded. "I mean... we do know from experience that he doesn't cope so well if he thinks our lives are in danger, which I can understand, given what happened to Charlie and everything Jack has gone through since then. The Air Force isn't strictly speaking the safest careers we could have gone with."

"Especially since it doesn't take an brain like yours... or Daniel's to figure out that ultimately we're planning on joining the SGC and will therefore be going off-world and kicking alien butt... and potentially getting our butts kicked by aliens."

"Yeah... probably a good thing neither of us uses the O'Neill name. I mean... if we got caught by some Goa'uld and we had O'Neill written all over our uniforms… it wouldn't be good."

Xander shuddered at the prospect. After all, he and Willow had already been kidnapped by Goa'ulds once in an attempt to get to Jack and Xander had no desire to relive the experience.

"At least... at least by the time we've finished our training. Jack will be close to retiring... so he's not going to be hanging around the SGC... or even being off-world, worrying about what we're doing," Willow commented thoughtfully

"And if there is some big thing... you know, apocalypse bad, that we have to face, Jack isn't going to know about it until it's all over... if he finds out at all, and therefore he won't be there in the gate room ready to smother us with attention when we come back from dangerous stuff."

Willow nodded in agreement. While she was in no way averse to getting a little attention from Jack, the years of neglect her parents had subjected her to making excessive displays of open affection rather awkward... given that she never knew how to react. Situations like that would be even more awkward in a public space... such as the gate room.

The discussion between the two teenagers was broken by the sound of Willow's phone going off in her school bag. Glancing at Xander, Willow got up, letting Xander's feet drop back onto the floor, and hurried to retrieve the device. A glance at the screen told her that it was Cassie that was calling her.

"Hey, Cassie," Willow greeted.

"Willow... are you guys home yet?" Cassie asked. Willow could hear her friend's excitement in Cassie's voice and instinctively Willow had a pretty good idea about what Cassie was talking about. It was, after all, something that the three of them had spend hours talking about during study sessions and lunch breaks at school.

"Yeah... let me guess... you got something in the mail today?"

"You, too, huh?"

"Yep... and Xander as well."

"This is GREAT!" Cassie squealed. "Imagine if we all got into the SGC? I can't wait to go off-world... not that Earth isn't great, but... you know what I mean."

"I know, Cassie, trust me. Xander and I have a request, though."

"Shoot," Cassie replied.

"Well... Xander and I are going to surprise Jack on his birthday next week... so if you could refrain from telling Jack or any of the others on SG1... you know that they stink at keeping secrets from one another."

"What about Mom?" Cassie asked.

"You can tell her but it would be great if you asked if she didn't tell anyone else... at least, not until after Jack's birthday."

"Great. He is going to be so surprised. I mean, he knew we were all applying to get in... but the odd of us all getting accepted weren't great," Cassie gushed.

Willow nodded, even though Cassie couldn't see the gesture. "I overheard him talking to Sam about it. He said he thought Xander would get in... if his grades were good enough but he thought that even if I got in, I would end up taking what he called 'the Daniel path' and do something a little more academic. He and Sam agreed on that and they talked about you as well... Jack thinks that you'll go somewhere else for medical training and then join the Air Force and Sam thinks that you'll go straight into the Academy."

"I know... I was talking to Sam a few weeks ago about the whole college thing and she said she could picture me going straight into the Academy. What about you, though? I mean, you have offers from Ivy League schools. You got accepted into Oxford, for crying out loud. Are you sure that this is what you want to do?"

"Now you sound like Jack," Willow said, rolling her eyes.

"What? It's a valid question," Cassie defended. Willow let out a sigh. If she was honest with herself, she had been asking herself the same question for weeks... ever since the acceptance letters began to arrive. While the idea of going to a good college appealed to her academically, in her heart, and in some parts of her mind, Willow knew that she could do so much more for people if she went into the Air Force. Ever since she had met Buffy, two and a half years ago, Willow's existence had revolved around protecting those who couldn't protect themselves from those who were more powerful than themselves. While the Air Force itself had little to do with the supernatural, the same principle applied with the Goa'ulds... and even outside of the SGC, the Air force was fighting against terrorists and trying restore peace to areas of conflict.

While there was a part of her that wanted to enter into a academic environment that would challenge her mentally and would recognize Willow's intelligence, Willow knew that there was no way she could go back to standing in the sidelines while there were others out there risking their lives for the sake of humanity. She knew too much about both the supernatural and the alien threat to the inhabitants of earth to stand by and do nothing.

"I can't stand in the sidelines while there are people I know who are risking their lives every day preventing the end of the world when there is the chance that I can help," Willow told Cassie, her eyes locking with Xander's, who was nodding encouragingly at her choice of words.

"So... instead of taking 'the Daniel path', you're going to take 'the Sam path?'" Cassie confirmed. Willow considered it.

"Yeah... I'm going to take the Sam path."

SG1/BtVS

"Are we good?" Xander asked Cassie in an undertone as they walked out onto Jack's rear deck, each of them carrying bowls of food. Cassie nodded.

"Mom hasn't said anything to anyone. She thinks what we're doing is sweet... but she said that she was glad she was going to be here for a couple of reasons."

"Yeah, what reasons?" Xander asked as Willow joined them, depositing another bowl, this one containing salad, onto the table.

"Well... for one, she's going to be recording it... she's going to show Hammond. She reckons Jack's going to be speechless when he finds out."

"Either that or he'll blow his head off," Xander added.

"Well... that's a possibility too," Cassie admitted, "and the second reason is, well, Jack isn't exactly young these days... and Mom thought it would be a good idea to have a trained medic here if he, you know, has a heart attack."

"Great... we could kill him... any chance we can pull out now?" Willow whispered "We should have thought this through more."

Xander shook his head. "He's got to find out at some point... we've just got to be very careful with how we do this."

"Yeah... I've been thinking about that... and Mom has too... and we've got a pretty cool idea. Follow me," Cassie whispered. Willow and Xander exchanged curious looks before they followed Cassie back inside Jack's house and went upstairs.

"What do you think that was about?" Daniel asked Sam and Jack as they watched the three teenagers trying to go unnoticed.

"Trust me, Danny, they're teenagers... we're never going to understand anything they do," Jack said with a roll of his eyes. Sam and Daniel both laughed, even though Jack's eyes lingered on the stairs.

Xander and Willow had been acting weird for a week now...band Jack's gut told him that things were going to come to a head very soon.

He only hoped that it had nothing to do with vampires or anything like that.

SG1/BtVS

Xander, Willow and Cassie volunteered to clear the plates away at the end of the meal, while the rest of those present, being Jack, Sam, Daniel, Teal'c and Janet, sat at the table out on the deck chatting amongst themselves casually. When the three teenagers returned from the kitchen, it was Xander who nervously cleared his throat. Janet, from where she sat, began to record the teenagers on her camera.

"Um... yeah... thanks, everybody, for coming tonight. I'm sure... I'm sure Dad appreciates it... I know Wills and I do."

Jack looked up at Xander. It was rare for either of the teenagers to call him Dad... most of the time it was just Jack, which was something Jack was fine with. The fact that Xander had called him Dad, however, meant that something was up. The nervousness in Xander's voice, the way Willow kept ducking her head and hiding behind her hair, and the way Cassie was shifting her weight... they were all indications that the three teenagers were definitely up to something.

"Having you all together like this... our family, if you like... it's really important for us. Ever since our parents died, you've taken us in as part of your family... and Willow and I are always going to appreciate it. You opened our eyes and broadened our horizons. You opened up new worlds to us... literally." There was a smattering of laughter from the assembled adults at Xander's little jest.

"Anyway... Cassie, Willow and I... we're just glad that you guys are here for us and of course, for Dad... um, is there anything you guys want to add?"

Cassie and Willow shook their heads and Willow crouched down and recovered a wrapped parcel from where she had hidden it that afternoon behind a potted plant.

"Okay... that being said... we kind of want to make an announcement... and would really would prefer it if people refrained from... having heart attacks or whatever." Xander looked over at Willow and Cassie, who nodded. Willow stepped forward, handing the package to Jack, before stepping back in line in between Xander and Cassie. Xander let out a breath he hadn't even realized that he was holding before carefully beginning to take off the jacket he was wearing. Beside him, Willow and Cassie were doing the same thing with their own jackets. Beneath the jackets all three teens were wearing black t shirts... very much like the ones the members of SG1 wore on a daily basis. On the sleeves of the shirts, however, they had safety-pinned air force badges, supplied by Janet. Xander couldn't bring himself to look at Jack, so instead he focused on Daniel and Teal'c. Daniel's brow was furrowed in confusion and Teal'c's expression was stoic... although Xander could tell that the Jaffa was very quickly working out what was going on.

"One week ago, we all got a letter, not so unusual at the moment for Willow and Cassie... but this one was different... this one was the one that we've all been waiting for... well, for a while at least. It was the one that officially offered us all places at the Air Force Academy. We've all thought about it and discussed it... and we have all decided to accept the offer... so... who knows. Give us a few years and we might be up there, kicking Goa'uld butt... just like you guys."

Xander went quiet and there was a stunned silence. Almost painfully, Xander looked at Jack, who was holding the package in shaking hands. He slowly began to unwrap it, revealing an ordinary folder, which he opened to reveal the acceptance letters addressed to all three teenagers. Giving Jack solid proof in the form of the letters had been Willow's idea. Sam reached out and put a comforting, steadying arm on Jack's shoulder, and Xander could faintly hear Willow constantly whispering 'please don't be mad' under her breath, her eyes fixed on Jack. Xander took Willow's hand in his own and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Willow didn't take her eyes off Jack but she sidled a little closer to Xander. Cassie's eyes weren't fixed only on Jack, unlike the other teenagers, but instead roved over the rest of the assembled adults. Teal'c's expression, had the situation been less serious, would have been comical and Daniel looked like he was going to burst into tears. Cassie caught her mother's eye and Janet nodded approvingly. Nobody, however, said anything, all waiting for Jack to break the silence.

Finally Jack drew his gaze form the three letters in his lap, to the three teenagers lined up in front of him; Cassie, smiling, Xander, putting on a brave face, and Willow, her eyes wide and almost fearful as she begged him not to be angry. He set aside the letters and got to his feet, letting Sam's hand slide from his shoulder and down his back as he approached the teenagers. First, he affectionately ruffled Cassie's hair before turning to face his kids.

"Come here," he ordered softly before engulfing both of them in a bear hug, holding them close. Willow buried her head into his chest and Xander rested his head on Jack's shoulder.

"I am so proud of you guys. Those Goa'ulds aren't going to know what hit them."

Willow let out a nervous giggle and Xander laughed as Jack kissed the top of Willow's head and affectionately ruffled Xander's hair.

"Just promise me that you'll be careful... that you'll use your heads and that you'll limit the amount of stupid things you do. I've had enough gray hairs from scares with Danny for you two to be adding to them."

Xander looked over his shoulder at Sam, who was wiping tears from her eyes, at Daniel, who was nodding proudly, at Teal'c who was actually smiling, at Janet, who was hugging Cassie, and at Cassie, who was laughing. His gaze dropped to Willow, who was looking up at him and Jack, tears rolling down her cheeks, a happy smile on her face.

Then Xander looked at Jack and saw the proud smile on his father's face as he looked at the two teenagers he had taken in just under a year ago. A lot of things had happened since then, both good and bad, but Xander wouldn't have it any other way. Jack and Willow were his family now... and they all loved one another. It was how a family was really supposed to be.

Xander felt Willow take his hand and give it a squeeze and Xander smiled as he and Willow spoke in unison to the man that had become their father in every way.

"Always."

_Fin_

**A.N. Firstly, massive apologies for the delay in posting this chapter. I plead a nasty case of writers block...I had this chapter half written, and then couldn't get anywhere with it for months, and then suddenly I could finish it off, which was great. Huzzuh!**

**This chapter finishes off this story. I would like to thank everyone who has been reviewing this story. I found your feedback to be instructive, helpful, and encouraging. **

**In terms of continuing this story line, I do have a couple of ideas featuring Xander and Willow, and their further adventures, floating around in my head, but a sequel is still awhile off, as I have other writing projects i would like to focus on.**

**Hope you enjoyed this story. Thank you again to my beta reader Darkened Shadows for her work in editing my rambling Aussie slang into proper English.**

**Keep an eye out for my next piece of work, to be posted soon.**

**R.W. **


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